Mass Effect - Beyond the Sea
by Nyx Krios
Summary: Thane Krios. Alien. Assassin. Overwhelmingly Desirable? Anya Shepard couldn't explain her wild attraction to the drell, but she also couldn't resist the strong pull she had to him. Anya stumbles into a tragic yet beautiful affair with her assassin crew member. Not only will she fight the reapers to save the galaxy, she will fight against all other odds to keep Thane alive.
1. Chapter 1 - Prologue

[A/N: While my story will follow the general flow of the games and feature some actual game dialogue, I will have quite a bit of my own artistic liberties inserted in as well to add to the characters overall stories. This is my first ever fanfic, so I hope you bear with me, and enjoy the read. Feel free to let me know what you think. :) PS: this story is rated MA for explicit sexual context. Read at your own discretion.]

 **Prologue**

"Anya Shepard, first human spectre, savior of the citadel. You're in the presence of a hero...and a ghost."

Those words echoed Anya's ears as she stood in the empty comm room and sighed heavily, eyes closed and brows furrowed. She rubbed her temples, mumbling under her breath in annoyance. She had been surprised to see Kaiden Alenko on Horizon. He in turn was none to happy to see her. She was working with Cerberus now, a known terrorist group led by the Illusive Man, and Kaiden couldn't accept that she was only doing so to save humanity from the collectors abductions. She flinched as he had recalled their last moments together, how he had mourned for her when he thought Anya was dead. When he had turned his back on her and walked away in anger, his words had cut deep. Though now they had grown apart, she had once loved him, and his words were still like a hot knife.

"I loved you...I know where my loyalties lie..." She had hung her head as those words wrenched her heart into a vice grip while she radioed for pick up.

Kaiden was a part of her team two years ago when they were fighting against Saren, a rogue spectre who attacked the Citadel with countless geth and an ancient sentient machine known as a reaper by the name of Sovereign. They had grown close in the months before Sovereign's attack. She remembered how they had made love on the way to Ilos. When the Normandy was attacked by the collectors, it had hurt her to send him away to save the crew while she went to rescue their pilot, Jeff, who went by the nickname Joker.

She recalled watching the pods with her crew and friends shooting off through the darkness, sending Joker's escape pod rocketing to safety also mere seconds before an explosion sent her spiraling into space. She had taken a last look around at the remains of the Normandy moments before her suit ruptured, leaking out her precious oxygen. She had been clinically dead, but Cerberus recovered the shattered remains of her body from the planet in which her body crashed down on, and through a special experiment called Project Lazarus and nothing short of a miracle, they were able to bring her back.

She now commanded a newly built, upgraded Normandy with Joker once again at its helm. She was glad to have the helmsman back. He might be ornery, but his familiar face made things a little easier to accept the fact she was stuck working with someone she considered an enemy. She didn't like being on a Cerberus ship with people she didn't know and couldn't trust. Anya rubbed the still healing scars scattered across her face and shook her head against the memories of all that was and everything she lost in the last two years.

She was brought back to the present as she furrowed her brows again in irritation. The Illusive Man of course had been all too willing to pry about Kaiden and Anya's relationship. Her heart had gave a little squeeze as she stared the Illusive Man down with a stone cold expression, her eyes narrowed, her voice cold and detached.

"Your team will need to be strong, as will their resolve. There's no looking back. The same goes for you. Can I assume you've put your past relationships behind you?" He asked Anya.

"That's none of your damn business." She spit the words through clenched teeth.

"If it affects the mission, better you should leave it behind, Shepard. Once we find a way through the Omega 4 relay to the Collector homeworld...there's no guarantee you'll return. To have any hope of surviving, you -and your entire team- must be fully committed to this." The Illusive Man waved her cold attitude off with a hand, taking a drag of his cigarette.

"Let -me- worry about them. -You- just find us a way into the Collector homeworld." Anya crossed her arms and shifted her weight back on one foot. She had nodded as he informed her of three more dossiers he was forwarding to her before ending the call. She sighed, streching her neck from side to side and returned to the CIC to pick up her dossiers, checking in with her yeoman, Kelly Chambers, as well.

"Commander, how can I help you?" Kelly asked cheerfully. The bubbly red head was always in a good mood it seemed. She was a charming sort, and Anya couldn't help but like her. She almost envied the girls light hearted and carefree attitude, but also found it refreshing with all that was going on around them. Anya greeted her with a small smile.

"Is there anything I should know" Anya inquired, tilting her head inquisitively.

"You have unread messages at your private terminal. Is there anything else I can help you with, Commander?" Kelly asked, smiling softly.

"No thank you, Kelly. Ill take the messages in my cabin." Anya dismissed Kelly and made her way to the elevator, pressing the button for the top deck where her cabin was located. After dropping the dossiers at her desk and briefly glancing through her awaiting messages, Anya stood at the fish tank to admire at the colorful creatures as they floated through their glass world, oblivious to the outside world around them. As she hit the button to feed them, she let her mind wander over the events of the last couple weeks. Just barely back and it was already a nightmare all over again. When she had awoken, she was greeted with a handful of mechs trying to kill her, programmed by the very doctor who had helped bring her back to life. Anya shook her head at the memory. Now she was fighting an enemy called the Collectors, who in turn were working for the reapers. 'It's always the damned reapers' she thought, glaring at the tank.

Anya realized she had been lost in thought for several minutes, still staring into her fish tank yet not seeing them as her mind went over the last several recruitment missions. She had assembled quite a team already, one member of which she was relieved turned out to be her old turian friend Garrus Vakarian. He was also with her at the battle for the citadel when they fought and defeated Saran and Sovereign. He was a most welcomed familiar face in the sea of people she didnt know. She stretched her arms out with a small satisfied grunt and walked to the side of her bed to turn on some low music. She then returned to her desk with a bit of disgruntled mutterings as she sat and looked over the new dossiers.

One dossier was to Haestrom to aquire the assistance of Tali'Zorah Nar Ryaa, much to her happiness. Like Garrus, Tali was one of Anya's original crew before the Normandy had been destroyed. She had seen Tali back on Freedoms Progress shortly after escaping the medical facility where Anya was being brought back, but at the time, she was unable to join Anya. Anya smiled, her spirits feeling a little lifted now at the prospect of having Tali back on the Normandy. She pursed her lips in curiosity as she perused the other two dossiers. They were both on Illium, a planet in asari controlled space. One was for an asari Justicar by the name of Samara. She studied the file on the beautiful blue woman with curiosity, having never heard of Justicars before. Samara looked regal, commanding, and powerful just in her photographic presence alone.

The last file was for a drell assassin named Thane Krios. Drell were an uncommonly seen race. She had never seen one herself and she found herself studying the assassins attached photo. His skin appeared to be smooth scales, green in hue, with stripes in an even darker hue of green running down either side of his head and neck, as well as a couple set just below his full lips and eyes. Eyes dark as night stared back at Anya from the photo, and she swallowed lightly. They appeared to be pure black, and they reminded her of the way the asari's eyes turned black when they were melding minds with another. He looked cool, collected, mysterious, dangerous. There was a hint of something else she couldnt quite put her finger on as she studied his image.

Anya shook her head a bit. It was just a picture after all. She continued perusing his file, reading to herself softly. She kept finding her eyes drawn back to his photo, studying his features. She had to admit, he was quite handsome in the photo, for an alien. Growing more distracted by the drell in the photo, she leaned away from her desk, stacking the files in a pile.

"Get a grip, Shepard...you need to focus" she said out loud. She stood, walking to her bathroom to splash cool water on her face and take a deep breath to center her thoughts. She stared at her reflection for a short bit. Despite the scars from her reconstruction, and all the other battles she had been through, she was quite pretty. Her features were slender and smooth. Her sun-kissed skin was the perfect shade, not too dark, not too pale. It had the occasional almost unnoticeable scar here and there, but was smooth, all things considered, Her black wavy hair bounced just above her brow in a cute pixie cut. When she first joined the Alliance at 18, her raven locks used to reach past her shoulder. She learned quickly though that it interfered with her helmet fitting well, as well as the extra weight and length made her overheat when she was in the midst of battle. The short cut seemed to accent her delicate, pretty features well enough, so she didn't mind. She was content in knowing that while she was a soldier, she didn't look like a typical one.

The reflection of her eyes stared back at her, full of pride and determination. They were a brilliant shade of cerulean blue, as blue as the oceans of Earth. She smiled a bit, flashing a set of perfect white teeth as her mind wandered again. She wondered if this Krios would find her pretty, for a human. Almost as quickly as she had thought it, Anya waved the thought from her head as a wave of crimson colored her cheeks, splashing another douse of cold water across her face to focus. Giving one last glance to her reflection, she about faced and took the elevator down to the CIC to plot their next course.


	2. Chapter 2 - Recruitment

Arriving at Illium, Anya, Garrus, and Tali made their way off the Normandy to be greeted by a young asari, who explained that all their docking and other fees had been waived for all trips to Illium.

"Who waived our fees?" Anya asked, scratching her brow in confusion.

"Liara T'Soni handled all your fees. She has an office overlooking the trade district. You should stop by and see here while you are here! I'm sure she would be most happy to see you!" The concierge said with a brilliant smile.

"Liara? What is she doing here?" Anya was even more surprised. Liara was another one of her crew back before the Normandy was destroyed. Liara was a beautiful asari whom shed rescued from the geth in the hunt for Saren. She turned out to be the daughter of Matriarch Benezia. The memory of standing over Liaras dying mother as Liara cried for her to stay with them and fight Sarens indoctrination wrenched her heart. She pushed the memories away, focusing on the present as the asari concierge was speaking again.

"Liara is one of Illium's most trusted information brokers!" Anya smiled and thanked her, and then made their way to Liara's office. She rounded the corner into the office to catch the lovely asari mid conversation with what seemed to be a rather nervous client.

"Have you ever faced an asari commando unit before? Few have. Either you pay me, or I flay you alive...with my mind!" The holo flickered off, and Liara realizing she had company, stammered and turned to face Anya, wrapping her in a hug.

"Sh-shepard! Nyxeris! Hold my calls!" Anya laughed and wrapped Liara in a warm hug as Liara's assistant nodded and left the room. She quirked a brow as she stepped back and eyed Liara, who seemed to be blushing slightly.

"Threatening to flay people alive with your mind are we?" Liara chuckled at Anya and shook her head. She spent a few minutes catching up with Liara before turning her focus to her reason for being on Illium. Her dossiers had said both Samara and Thane Krios were here. She of course invited Liara to rejoin her, but Liara declined, having other things that she had to take care of first. Anya took mental note to see if she could help Liara after she finished building her team. Liara informed Anya that she needed to speak with Seryna down at the docks for Thane, and Officer Anaya in regards to Samara. Thanking Liara for the information and promising to be back later, she sought out Seryna, who informed Anya that Thane was at the Dantius towers to take out the asari Nassana Dantius. The name sounded familiar, and Anya wondered about the familiarity as she made haste to catch her assassin.

Anya's team arrived at Dantius towers in time to watch as several salarian workers ran frantically, mechs sending their dogs after the defenseless workers and shooting the salarians in the back as they ran away. She grit her teeth and pulled her rifle, unloading her clip into the mechs. After dispatching them, her team moved forward, suprised to find one of the salarians still alive, holding on just barely. He explained that it was Nassana who ordered the mechs to shoot everyone. Nassana had caught wind of the hit on her life and hired a bunch of mercs to guard her tower. In her impatience to get everyone out, she ordered her guards to shoot anyone who took too long to leave.

She applied some med-gel to the salarian, helping him to his feet, and told him to get to safety. She sped up her pace, herself, Tali and Garrus pushing to get up to the top of the tower and reach the assassin before he was discovered and killed. Floor by floor they rescued other trapped and scared workers, getting information as they went, and even shoving a merc out a window when he refused to cooperate. The action netted her a few choice words from her team, but she shrugged and pressed on. The salarians she rescued as they progressed hadn't seen Krios, but they spoke in awe of the ease in which he dispatched the dead mercs next to them and then had sealed them inside the rooms to protect them. Anya smirked slightly. 'This Krios must be a hell of an assassin' she thought.

Finally reaching the top floor where Nassanna waited in her office, surrounded by her blue suns guards, everyone spun their guns to face Anya and her team, a look of shock on Nassana's face. It was then that Anya recalled who the asari was. Nassana had tricked Anya into killing Nassana's sister two years ago by saying she was kidnapped. It turned out her sister actually was a slaver, and Nassana wanted her head so it wouldnt affect her political image. An amused smirk at the irony played across Anya's lips as she stared down the asari. 'Karma is a bitch' She thought.

"You!? So…you've been sent to kill me. Makes sense. You killed my sister...and now you're here for me." Nassana spat, turning her back on Anya. Anya's brow twitched as she heard the faintest of thuds from the air ducts above Nassana and her guards.

"You really think its me, Nassana?" Anya smirked as Nassana offered to pay her double for telling her who the actual assassin was. Another thud, just loud enough for a guard to take notice and start looking around. Nassana panicked and sent guards to check the other exits. In the chaos, as quiet as the night, Krios slipped down from an air duct, wrapping his hands around the head of one guard and snapping his neck in one quick, silent motion, followed by snapping the head back of a second guard, killing him as well. It was then the third guard took notice of Krios, but before he could react , Krios shot him and just as quickly had one hand on Nassana's back, the other pressing his pistol to her abdomen. With a pull of the trigger as surprise and shock set in on her face, he ended her life. He softly laid her back over the console behind her, crossing her arms over her body as she let out a last, dying moan. He then stood silent with head bowed, his hands folding in what seemed to be quiet prayer.

Anya stared as the events unfolded before her. Everything was over in a matter of mere seconds, but in that time, everything seemed to slow down as she watched this assassin work. He was dressed in form fitting leather than deliciously hugged every bit of his lithe body. It was open over the breast bone, allowing the skin of a toned chest to peek through. Anya swallowed hard as her eyes swept over his form. He was all lean muscle, tall, around six foot it seemed. His eyes still looked black as night. As the light hit them though, she could see he had a humanoid iris and pupil settled there in what was a dark grey. His eyes flashed a brilliant dark green as he darted his eye from target to target. The voice of her turian team make brought her back to the current moment as Thane had bowed his head.

"Nice entrance." Anya glanced over her shoulder at Garrus just slightly, then refocused her eyes on the assassin before her.

"You Thane Krios? I was hoping to talk to you." Anya said, somehow managing to maintain her usual cool. Thane didn't look up at her, but after a second he spoke out softly.

"In a moment. Prayers for the wicked must not be forsaken." Anya's breath hitched slightly at his voice. She couldn't quite describe it. His voice seemed to vibrate when he spoke. It reminded her of the way Garrus sounded when spoke, the vibrations and duality of his tone. She suppressed a shiver as the sound of Thane's voice sent delightful chills down her spine. 'The hell...' She thought. Garrus' voice definitely didn't do that to her. She refocused on the conversation with a hard swallow.

"Do you really think she deserves it?" Anya asked quizzically. Her brow was cocked slightly, wondering why anyone would spare a prayer for someone like Dantius. She certainly wasn't deserving in Anya's eyes. Had her sister murdered, gunning down her workers in cold blood...no...far from deserving in Anya's mind. In that moment, Thane opened his eyes, focusing those dark eyes on her. Anya kept her face straight while suppressing another delighted chill as his gaze seemed to rake over her body for a moment. Her reaction to the drell was perplexing.

"Not for her, for me." Thane said simply. There was a bit of sorrow behind his eyes, hidden in the tones of his voice. Anya cocked a brow in surprise as Thane continued speaking. "The measure of an individuals work can be difficult to discern by actions alone. Take you, for instance. All of this destruction...chaos." Thane paused for a moment, walking around to the front of the console as he spoke. Anya looked at Nassana's still form, then back to Thane as he resumed speaking.

"I was curious how far you'd go to find me. Well...here I am." Thane came to a stop at the front of the console, staring back at Anya. His eyes seemed to momentarily flick over her again, the corner of his mouth twitch ever so slightly. It was so minute that Anya was sure she imagined it. She shifted her weight to one foot, her weight leaning back on it as she spoke up.

"Howd you know I was coming at all?" She asked. Thane began to advance towards her, walking past her to stand in the little circle created by her, Garrus and Tali. As he walked passed, he brushed against her ever so slightly. Another delicious chill spiraled down her spine and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep a straight face. She couldnt understand why he had such an effect on her.

"I didnt. Not until you marched in the front door and started shooting. Nassana was paranoid. You saw the strength of her guard force. She believed one of her sisters would try to kill her." Thane spoke over his shoulder at her, his voice low. "You were a valuable distraction." Anya once again cocked her brow at the male, but smirked slightly.

"Lets cut to the chase, Thane. I need you for a mission."

"Indeed?" Thane remained unmoving, staring past her team.

"You're familiar with the collectors?"

"By reputation." Thane turned and walked past her again, brushing past her ever so slightly again. Anya fought to ignore sensations flowing through her body. He faced the window as Anya continued explaining their mission.

"They are abducting human colonies. Freedoms Progress was their handiwork."

"I see."

"We are going after them." She stated matter-of-factly. Thane then turned his upper body to look back at her.

"Attacking the Collectors would require passing through the Omega 4 relay. No ship has ever returned from doing so." Anya smirked a bit, shifting her weight back on one foot again and crossing her arms.

"They told me it was impossible to get to Ilos, too." Brief memories of Ilos flashed into her head. Of racing to get through the conduit and save the citadel before Saren and Sovereign could destroy everything. As Thane spoke again, Anya stepped forward to stand next to him, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

"A fair point. You've built a career on performing the impossible." He paused for a second, casting his gaze to the floor. He seemed...almost sorrowful. He returned his gaze to the sight of the setting sun before speaking again. His voice was sad, detached. "This was to be my last job." He paused briefly once more before continuing. "I'm dying. Low survival odds don't concern me. The abduction of your colonists does." Anya stared at Thane in surprise at his confession, but kept focus on the task at hand. She made note to see if there was something she could do to help later after he was aboard the Normandy.

"Does this mean you'll help us?" She asked softly, turning her head to look at him

"I will work for you Shepard. No charge." As they turned their bodies to face one another, Thane extended his hand to her, and she in turn took his to shake hands. It was all she could do to stay straight faced. Even through her gloves, his touch seemed to ignite a whirlwind of sensations throughout her body. He seemed to hum power, and she tried to keep herself calm lest she drown in the sensations that lit seductive fires across her nerves. 'I'm going to need a cold shower...' she thought to herself as she released his hand, turning towards the door to make her way back to the ship.


	3. Chapter 3 - Daydreaming

Thane exhaled slowly, trying with little luck to still his mind and meditate. He had been on the Normandy for a couple of weeks now. Anya made a habit of stopping by from time to time to check on him. At first, Thane thought perhaps she was hovering, worrying about his sickness. However, in his occasional walks throughout the ship, he learned that she did that with all the crew. She liked to check up on all of them, and also just to have idle friendly chat. Thane found himself smiling. He found it rather charming that she cared about her crew enough to stop by and just have a normal friendly conversation. He supposed with what was at stake, a little bit of a normal, friendly conversation was likely a welcomed reprieve from the mission.

He stretched his neck from side to side, taking a few slow, deep, easy breaths. Edi had said the life support room was the most arid area of the ship, making it the best location for him to set up his things. Thane learned that Anya had ordered Edi to alter the atmosphere in his room to be as arid as Thane needed it to be. It was much to his appreciation and comfort that Anya seemed to be doing her best to make him comfortable and be helpful. Given the nature of Kepral's Syndrome, he needed as dry of a location as possible to delay the effects of his sickness. Having his room dry certainly helped him breathe much easier.

Here in this room with just his own company, his thoughts often seemed to drift to Anya. He thought he had imagined it when they first met, but there was a charge between them when he had brushed past her in Nassana's office, when they had shook hands, any time he happened to brush past her on the ship. When she came by his room to chat, the whole room seemed to hum with energy. He swallowed hard as his thoughts of Anya enticed swirls of sensations he long thought were dead stirred in his body.

A picture of her softly tanned skin, the way it seemed to turn just a slight shade of pink for the slightest second any time Anya seen him, danced around Thane's mind. It was a curious trait he didn't understand, but it was endearing. The cerulean beauty of her eyes reminded him of the oceans of Kahje. He saw such emotion in the sea of her eyes; pain, sorrow, determination, love, hate, and most of all...hope. He knew she was fighting hard not just for humanity, but for all of the galaxy. His mouth twitched in a rare smile.

"Just like Arashu's warriors...beautiful, strong, tenacious..." Thane said out loud to himself, his gravely voice just above a whisper and a coy smile on his full lips. He couldn't help but suddenly worry he wasn't alone, so he took a second to peer around the room. He was indeed alone, and he breathed a small sigh of relief. He shook his head and chastised himself to keep his thoughts inward if he insisted on having them.

It took him by surprise to find that he actually found Anya quite pretty, for a human. He had never been interested in another species outside of his own before, but Anya intrigued him in a way that he hadn't felt in a long time. Thane's mental image then flipped to her raven locks, and the way they curled at her brow when she was at rest, or how they swayed softly in a breeze when they were out on a mission. He pondered what they would feel like if he wound them softly through his fingers. Her hair was always shiny and clean. Its smell was enticing, reminding him of a strange piece of food he had seen the ship's cook shredding once for a dessert. Coconut, he thought it was called.

His daydream started to turn more erotic as he pondered her luscious full lips. It was all Thane could do to not stare when Anya would lick her lips, let alone refrain from laying claim to her mouth with his own. What would her lips would feel like against his as he curled his fingers through the soft tendrils of her hair, what her tongue would taste like as he darted his own into her mouth, tasting her? He pulled himself from his thoughts as they began to turn even more suggestive and seductive.

Thane cleared his throat and opened his eyes to stare out the window of the room at the drive core of the Normandy. He worked to steady his breath, which had grown ragged and shallow, and slow his racing heart. Shifting in his seat slightly, he was now painfully aware that his lustful imagination had affected far more than just his breath and heart rate. Thane stared aimlessly for a few seconds, pondering this reaction towards Anya. She was his commander after all, and she probably didn't have any of the same reactions about him as Thane did her. He pursed his lips, deciding he was going to do his best to keep it professional when Anya was near. He didn't want to complicate things if there wasn't anything there to begin with. Sighing and readjusting himself while mildly cursing the restrictive nature of his attire, he smirked and shook his head, standing up and making his way towards his door.

"I think I need a cold shower..." Thane murmured, leaving the life support room and heading for the showers on deck four, delighted and thankful that the elevator and hall were empty. A slight sensation tickled at the back of his mind, but he brushed it off, more focused on his need for distraction from his irresistible daydreaming.

(- - -)

Anya flopped face first on the couch in her cabin back aboard the Normandy with a low groan. She was exhausted and frustrated, both mentally and physically. It had been a long past few weeks, which had accounted for her mental exhaustion and frustration. This past week, Anya and her team went to pick up Samara, where she ended up helping solve a murder in the process. A local volus salesman had been killed by the Eclipse Sisters, the local merc band that ran the area. Had they been able to get to him, they would have killed his partner, Pitne For, as well for selling a bad batch of drugs to them. While he wouldn't be dealing with the mercs, Pitne would be going to jail after Anya turned in his shipping manifest to the detective.

"Why can't I just show up, say hey, I need your help on this crazy, dangerous mission, and the person just say 'OK!' and meet me on the ship? Why does it always have to be so damn difficult..." Anya grumbled out loud.

In order to get Samara to join her team, she had to find the name of a ship that the Eclipse sisters had smuggled someone out on. It had been a frustrating mission, and she was all too glad it was over. It turns out Samara was hunting a highly dangerous fugitive, though she would not explain to Anya any further who the fugitive was, or any other information regarding the target. Thankful for the information Anya had uncovered, Samara had finally agreed to join her crew and had taken up residence on deck three, the crew deck.

Anya then let her thoughts wander to Thane, who also had taken up a bunk on the crew deck in the Life Support room. She had spoken with him a couple of times since returning to the ship, learning that he had what was called Kepral's Syndrome. It was a non-contagious disease that drell contracted from living in areas that were too humid. Drell required dry, arid areas to live. As they lived on Kahje, the Hanar home world, it was anything but dry. It was very moist, and it made them sick. The moisture built up in their lungs, eventually suffocating them. It took a couple of years to completely manifest, but once it did, the drell who had it usually only had a couple of months to live before the disease took their life.

From what Thane had explained, he could delay the disease's progress by avoiding places with high humidity as often as possible. Anya did her best to make sure the life support room was kept arid for him, to which Thane had expressed his gratitude for. She made note to stop by again today. She hadn't seen him in around a week with as busy as she had been. She had been sending him with Jack, a biotic female that she had picked up from the prison ship Purgatory, and Mordin, the salarian scientist and doctor she had picked up on Omega, on some of the other smaller details that she was informed of.

She groaned into her pillow again at the thought of Thane, the reason behind her physical frustrations. Anya pondered what it was about Thane that set her on sensory overload. His name invoked an image of his face as she rolled to lay on her back, propping an arm beneath her head. An image of the radiant, beautiful dark green set in the deep grey pools that was his eyes stared back at her, taunting and teasing, a hint of humor glinting in their dark depths.

She bit her lip, seeing his mouth speaking to her as she closed her eyes. She couldn't hear the words, but she couldn't help but imagine they were asking for her to come to him. Her body flushed with heat as her mind played out little scenes. She watched his lip press against hers, kissing her passionately. The image blurred and shifted to Thane curling his digits into her short hair ever so gently, his tongue slipping out of his mouth to dance in hers. She could almost taste him in her mouth as his tongue danced in and out of hers, tracing her teeth, wrapping around her own tongue. Anya squirmed as her daydreaming delved into more erotic imagery.

Anyas eyes flew open, a small whimper of need escaping her lips as she squeezed her thighs together tightly against the swirling sensations pooling there. Her body ached in a way she hadn't felt since Kaiden. It had been a few months since she was brought back, and in that time, she had taken an interest in no one. No one until Thane that is. 'That drell is going to be the death of me' She thought, a humored smirk on her face. Her breath was rapid as her heart beat furiously in her chest. Pressing a hand to her chest and inhaling deeply to calm herself, she focused on her breaths until her heart once again beat normal.

Anya knew there was no way he could take interest in her though. She was a human, not even remotely the same as him. She sighed, pulling herself up grudgingly into a sitting position on the couch. Anya rubbed her face with her hands softly, thinking that professionalism was the best approach to this. She would need to put aside her peculiar attraction to Thane. In the mean time, she figured a long, warm shower was just what she needed to refocus.

Standing with a groaning stretch, she made her way to her private shower. As per usual, she leaned in to start the shower to let it warm up while she got undressed. This time however, it didn't start. She wiggled the handle back and forth a few times unsuccessfully before slamming her hand against the wall with frustrated grunt. She would have to have it fixed next time the Normandy docked at either the Citadel or Illium. She grumbled for a few moments, calling her shower a bosh'tet, a term she picked up from Tali (much to the quarian's amusement). She guessed it was the quarian equivalent to a human calling something/someone a bastard, piece of shit, or some such insult. Anya grabbed her shower supplies and a towel, as well as a plain grey tank and some black shorts.

Getting into the elevator, she tapped a slender finger on the button for deck four, where the crew showers were located. Why they were located on deck four rather than deck three, where the crews quarters were, she didn't know. She assumed Cerberus simply didn't think the space constraints through when they rebuilt the Normandy. Instead they created a separate deck to house the shower room between the crew and engineering decks. As the elevator chimed at its arrival on deck four, she exited, humming lightly to herself on the way to the shower, ignoring the growing, strange tingling sensation she felt in the back of her mind that she figured she was imagining as a side effect of being tired.


	4. Chapter 4 - Just a Shower

Anya sighed in content delight as the warm water rained over her body, tilting her face up into the stream. Each little pinpoint of water seemed like it was massaging away the ache of the weeks seemingly never ending missions. After a few moments of relaxing on the bench in her shower stall, she reached for her body wash. Anya slowly rubbed her body clean, massaging her muscles as she went, then grabbed her shampoo and conditioner to wash her hair. She sniffed deeply with a smile. It was coconut, her favorite scent. Standing back under the stream, she rinsed her hair and body. Her mind started to wander again as she imagined Thane's soft touch in place of the soap that slid down the soft curves of her body. Her entire body flushing with heat, she shook the thought from her head. A shared shower room was not the place to have such thoughts, especially not when she had heard another one of the stalls in use when she came in to the shower room.

Having finished her shower, she turned the water off and replaced her bath essentials in her little bag. She grabbed her towel and dried herself, noting that the shower room was now quiet. Anya figured whoever else was down here had finished and already left. She misted herself slightly with a lilac scented spray, and then pulled on a clean pair of panties. She pondered getting fully dressed, but she hadn't heard anything in the room for the last several minutes, so she decided it was likely safe to wrap in a towel and return to her quarters. This deck was generally pretty quiet in terms of foot traffic seeing as it only housed the shower and laundry rooms. The crew deck had a tub in each of the bathroom, and most people seemed content to use those. The showers were rarely used except after particularly messy missions. Anya, however, preferred a shower over soaking.

Wrapping her body in a large, soft towel, she gathered up her shower bag and dirty clothes, throwing the clothes in her personal washing unit. With her eyes closed while making her way to the elevator, she flicked a hand through her damp tresses to tousle them, she didn't see the silent guest on the deck until she ran straight into him. Her eyes flew open, her voice and one other yelping in surprised unison. The bag containing the change of clothes she had brought, as well as her bath supplies fell to the floor, sliding off to the side under a near by bench. A pair of strong hands steadied her softly, and her eyes focused on the male before her, her body pressed to his. It took a second to register the green flesh, the red frills, the exotic scent that threatened to overwhelm her with want.

Thane stood before her, wearing only his trousers. Anya's hands rested against his abs. When they collided, she shot her hands forward to brace herself. Her face flushed at the contact. She bit her lip and cursed at herself mentally. She didn't expect Thane to be the one on this floor, and then chastised herself more as she remembered he was a master assassin. Of course he wouldn't be heard walking around. He was as silent as night. Her breath hitched as she trailed her eyes up from her hands slowly, taking in the sculpted contours of his body. He was as every bit of toned muscle she had imagined. His chest was wide and strong, his shoulders broad and muscled. She watched as a small ripple of movement ran through the muscles of his biceps.

"Thane! Crap...I'm sorry! I didn't see you, hell I didn't even hear you." She blurted the words rapidly, embarrassment making her turn her head to hide her face from his gaze. His responding voice was low and thick, his reverberating tone causing a delicious shiver to traverse her spine.

"The fault is my own, Shepard. My apologies. Are you ok?" Thane's concern was sweet and it made her smile inwardly. She shook her head at him, her eyes still drinking in his magnificent chest and arms. Slowly, she turned her gaze towards his face, a shy smile twitching at the corners of her mouth.

"Yes, thank you. I am ok. I really should pay attention to where I'm walking..." Anya chuckled slightly, Thane's response again thick and low.

"Perhaps, I should do the same..." another shiver of delight curled down her spine.

As Anya's eyes met Thane's, she swallowed hard and her breath caught in her throat as she seen his expression. Need, desire. Thane's grip on her shoulders twitched ever so softly and she could see he struggled to maintain his usual cool composure. She took in the planes of his face, suppressing the overwhelming desire to trace her finger tips over his face, the top of his head, his crimson frills that looked velveteen to the touch. Anya was all too aware when she felt her body heat like it was suddenly aflame, a deep blush coursing its way across her cheeks. She clenched her thighs at her climbing arousal, biting her lip softly as she looked up at him.

(- - -)

Thane stared down at Anya for what seemed like an eternity, though only a couple of minutes had passed. She wasn't quite as tall as he was. He stood six foot tall, and he gathered she was around perhaps 5'8". He watched as her eyes focused on where they rested on his belly, just above his pelvis. They were warm, soft. He could feel them trembling ever so softly as she apologized for their collision. Not in fear, he sensed. She seemed curious, yet hesitant and nervous. A brief smile played across his lips as she continue her wide eyed appraisal of his body as he expressed his need to also watched where he walked. His mouth twitched slightly again as she finally met his eyes, her lips turned up in a shy smile. He flexed his grip on her shoulders softly as she stared up at him with those beautiful blue eyes. Goddess her skin was warm as she flushed a deep crimson again, and it was all he could do to stop himself from crashing his mouth down on hers to claim her. He still didn't understand the action, but it was so damned endearing.

When she bit her lip, the act spurred a low, rumbling groan of excitement in his throat. It was an exotic act to Thane, but an erotic one all the same. His body was all too aware as her entire body heated, her scent permeating his senses. He recognized the scent, as it was similar to one his own species females produced when they were aroused. He watched as the sound of his rumbling groan made her squirm, finding her reaction both interesting, and enticing. He shifted his stance, the exchange igniting his own body's reactions. He groaned inwardly as his groin swelled against the restricting fabric of his trousers. Against his better judgment, he decided to take a chance on their current situation.

Thane released one shoulder slowly, watching for signs and clues that Anya wanted him to stop. He had no desire to make her uncomfortable. He slowly traced his fingertips down Anya's arm, following the contours of her muscles. She was toned, muscles firm as he had imagined, but also there was also softness. Her skin was amazingly smooth, the occasional scar dotting her warm flesh here and there. He traced one, watching as her gaze shifted to watch his hand make its trail across her flesh. His other hand moved to rest over top of one of hers, hovering over it as she slid her hand up his belly to his chest. A low whimper escaped her lips, and he watched intently as Anya moved her gaze to look up at him, those oceanic eyes pleading.

"Thane..." She breathed his name softly, her thick, sultry voice threatening to undermine his already fragile control. Relinquishing her hand, Thane moved his hand to place it against her flushed face. He let out another throaty rumble of approval as Anya's eyes slid shut, lips slightly parted as she nuzzled into his hand. She was breathing softly, each breath coming in shallow, short bursts. Her scent spilling from her core, mixed with the floral notes of her soaps and perfume, filled his nose. It was beyond intoxicating, like his own personal drug.

He traced the pads of his fingertips on one hand across her jaw slowly, starting at her chin and making his way to her temple. He traced down the other side of her face, another approving groan escaping his lips as she tilted her neck to him. His other hand slid beneath her towel, resting against the small of her back. He stared at the smooth skin of her neck, watched the vein pulse as rapidly as her heart seemed to be beating. Thane wondered what would happen if he were to kiss her neck, just below the jaw, back by her ear. He leaned in slowly, watching for the slightest hint of Anya's discomfort and reluctance.

(- - -)

Anya's heart pounded in her chest, her breaths shallow and soft. She almost couldn't believe what was happening right now. Her and Thane were standing in the middle of the shower room. He was half dressed, she almost naked, with only a towel and a mere pair of now wet panties covering her nether regions. She couldn't suppress the soft whimper that escaped as he had slid her hand up his abs to his chest. His skin smoothness belied its outward appearance. She had expected roughness due to his scaled appearance, but instead, his scaled skin was soft and smooth, much like the underside of a snakes belly. The sensation was fascinating, but also erotic. She bit her inner cheek as he traced her jaw line, relishing in the sensations that danced through her core.

When she felt him lean towards her outstretched throat, her breath caught. His fingertips were on the underside of her chin, and slowly she felt him press his lips to her neck, just at the back of the jaw, below her ear. Her body shivered as a soft moan of his name drifted from her parted lips again. She felt the rumble of his own groan spread across her skin and it shot tendrils of pleasure straight to her core. She slid her hands from between them around to his back, melding her body closer to Thane's.

She could feel Thane's own arousal as he subconsciously ground his hips softly into hers, effectively coaxing another whimper of need from her. She was oblivious to the fact that her towel had slid away, leaving her bare breasted against him. Her nipples were hard buds, and each movement of either of their bodies made Thane's smooth skin brush against the sensitive nubs. She moaned again as more tendrils of pleasure danced in her core, threatening to throw her over the edge. She ran her hands up his chiseled arms, marveling at the texture of his skin while he spilled slow kisses and gentle nips across her jaw line. His own arms snaked around her, one tracing hot trails up and down her bare back, the other pulling on her sides as he undulated his hips against hers.

Just before reaching her lips, Thane stopped and looked at Anya, his own breath ragged and shallow through his slightly parted lips. He seemed to search her face for a moment, a brow cocked, his eyes questioning as they momentarily flicked to glance at her lips before returning to stare back into her eyes. Goddess...He was thinking of kissing her. Her gaze bounced from his piercing green gaze to his full lips in wide eyed anticipation for a brief moment before Anya realized he was waiting for her permission.

Her breath caught in her throat as subtly tilted her face towards his, noting when it registered in his eyes as her responseand he leaned his face closer to hers. She thought he would come crashing down upon her, claiming her mouth in a passionate fury, but he leaned in slowly instead, his kiss soft and tender. She moaned softly into his mouth, his full lips every bit as soft and warm as she had imagined over the last couple weeks. He responded in kind with a throaty groan of his own. The vibrations of his voice sent shivers of delight down her spine where they spiraled in her core. She clenched her thighs, her grip around him tightening as she tried to pull him ever closer.

Anya sighed into his kiss as Thane softly curled his fingers into her hair, gripping gently and pulling down to turn her lips up towards him more. It wasn't painful, but the sensation lit a fire in her core and it took every bit of her self control to not shove him onto a nearby bench and mount him on the spot. His tongue slipped between her lips, and she felt him tasting her, as she could taste him. Goddess he was intoxicating. Anya felt light headed, like she had the most wonderful buzz. His scent, his breath, it was all delicious. He smelled like a mixture of exotic spices. His kiss tasted of spice and hint of sweet. She lost herself in it with a pleasurable moan into his mouth as he expertly weaved his tongue in and around the contours of her mouth.

(- - -)

Somewhere during their exchange, they had backed their way into one of the large shower stalls, where Thane pressed her against a wall with her arms pinned lightly over her head with one hand. He spread kisses from her sensual lips and down her throat. When Anya made no move to remove her hands from where they were pinned, he moved one his hands to roll his thumb over one of the raised nubs on her breast. He wasnt familiar with all aspects of human anatomy, so he took the chance to wander and experiment, hoping what he was doing was correct. He was rewarded with another breathy moan of his name in his ear, her body arching from the wall into his touch. Noting her response, he did it again, coaxing more pleasured moans into his ear as he nibbled at the hollow of her throat.

He released her hands, and as Anya curled her arms around his neck and shoulders, he slid his free hand down her side, carressing a cheek of her bottom and giving it a firm grab. She gave a soft squeal and giggled, and he smiled into her neck and traced his hand lower to hook behind her knee. He drug it up slowly, bracing it against his hip. As she flexed her muscles to keep her leg in place, he drug his nails gently across the side of her thigh. He could feel her thigh clench against him, her hands gripping his back tightly. He returned his lips to hers, reveling in her taste. Thane pressed himself firmly between her thighs. Even through his trousers, he felt her heat and wetness, and it only made him grind against her harder. Thane groaned with pleasure as Anya raked her nails across his back and bit his lip softly.

He pulled his face back to look at her as he undulated his hips against her core. Her eyes were closed, lips parted as her breath came as hard pants. He gripped her sides as she arched her hips towards him, grinding against his hardened member. Anya's voice as she moaned was thick was desire, and Thane wasn't sure he could resist his own desire any further. He pressed his lips to hers, kissing her feverishly.

Despite everything that was happening as he rolled his thumb over the sentitive buds on her breast, enticing more of Anyas erotic moans, Thane was suddenly very aware of that sensation he always felt, the one he felt every day ever since he met Anya and boarded the Normandy. It didnt dawn on him at the moment of what it meant, the heat of the moment he and Anya were sharing drowning out reason. He noted that he could sense Anya, feel her presence within himself. He noted that he always felt it more so when she was near by, like a sixth sense. With a groan, Thane pushed Anya firmly against the wall. His resolve wavered, and without a second thought he positioned her better, a moment away from claiming her body entirely as he shifted to free himself from his trousers.

(- - -)

Anya was close from all of Thane's teasing. His lips came crashing into hers in a fiery kiss while grinding his groin against her core and she clenched her thighs against him. Her desire was winning the war for control that she fought to keep. She was about to give in, Thane's thumb rolling over her sensitive nipples again pushing her will over the edge. It seemed Thane was thinking the same thing as he shifted his body to remove his pants. Before she could utter a word or Thane remove his pants, the sound of the overhead comm chirped, startling them both. Thane pulled his face from hers, their breaths ragged and heavy as Edi's disembodied voice rang out over the comm.

"Commander Shepard, the Illusive Man wishes to speak with you."

"Oh...umm...thank you, Edi..." Anya stammered. She groaned internally, dropping her leg and resting her foot on the floor. She watched as Thane tried to regain his composure, his reluctance clear as he stepped away from her. He was eyeing her with blatant desire and also curiosity, a brow cocked as he studied her intently. Suddenly highly self conscious and embarrassed, her arms flew up and covered her chest. It was all she could do to stifle a moan as her arms brushed the sensitive buds of her breasts. As a full body blush yet again flushed over her skin, she eyed Thane from the corner of her eye, too embarrassed to make full eye contact. He leaned down to grab her a nearby towel, his expression one of confusion at her sudden change in demeanor. She turned away from him, taking the towel and tightly wrapping it around her and clutching the fabric at the top.

When she turned back around, Thane was standing with is own towel draped across his arm in front of him, his features cool and unreadable like they normally were. He was making an awkward attempt to hide his bulging groin from her, and she bit the inside of her cheek to suppress a laugh at how endearing his own awkward shyness was. She flicked her eyes to his when he shifted his gaze back to her, and she bit her lip slightly.

"Thane, I...I didn't mean..." She stammered nervously. There was no denying the attraction they both felt now. She was also fully aware of that strange sensation she always felt pulsing through her body in now blazing with full intensity. It didnt hurt, but it was noticable. She blinked a bit as she realized any time she was near Thane, it seemed to grow in intensity. Thane was the reason she could feel it so strongly now, feel him. It was like being able to sense him, where he was, and when he was near. She never paid it much attention until now. She wondered if he noticed it as well. She had no idea what it meant, and now, she wondered if she even would be able to find out.

As her eyes searched Thane's face for some show of emotion, she wondered if it was still best to attempt remain professional. At least until after the mission. However, she didnt know how she was going to face him on a professional level after the exchange they just had. She looked at him, her eyes pleading for him to understand her unspoken words. Thane stopped her words with a raised hand and shook his head.

"Commander, my apologies. I...don't know what came over me. Forgive me." Thane said softly. He sounded...almost hurt, and the cool expression on his face softened to mirror it. Did he think she was repulsed, or upset? Or was he upset at himself for his actions? Was he angry? She shook her head. She gave him a shy smile, fidgeting her hands nervously.

"Its...ok Thane. I...um...well, you don't have anything to apologize for." Anya shook her head. She sounded like a bloody fool, she thought. "Well, I...I should go...I'll...talk to you later?" She nodded to him as she retrieved her scattered belongings, a nervous yet hopeful look on her face. He returned the gesture with what appeared to be a confused, but also hopeful look on his face as she turned away and made her way to the elevator, hastily pressing the button for her cabin.

After the doors slid shut and she began moving, she smacked her palm to her forehead before shaking her head. 'So much for professionalism..." She thought. After getting dressed in her cabin, she straightened her hair in the mirror, took a deep breath to center herself, and then stepped back into the elevator, going down one level. She maneuvered through the CIC and the lab to the comm room, stepping forward and initiating the call to the Illusive Man.

"Shepard..." The Illusive Man's voice rang from the holo projection.


	5. Chapter 5 - Friendly Start

Anya flung her gear on the table with an irritated growl. Thane and Garrus stood calmly at one of the other tables, cleaning their own gear. She was beyond furious at this point. The illusive man had sent her and her team to a collector ship to investigate. He had told Anya that it had been disabled by a turian ship, and he had intercepted their distress beacon. However, when she arrived, she initially found nothing except dead bodies, empty caskets like what the collectors used at Freedom's Progress, and a research station with a dead collector in it. She did at least learn the identity of the collectors, who were none other than the Protheans, an ancient race who were once thought to be wiped out by the reapers the last time they were in the galaxy. As they progressed, Edi informed Anya that the collector ship was the very same one that had attacked her, Mordin, and Garrus on Horizon, as well as being the same one that had attacked and destroyed the original Normandy two years ago. It was all too much to be mere coincidence that it was the same ship following her around for the last two years.

Deep in the ship, Anya and her team had found a console she had hoped to obtain vital information from. Instead, it had been an ambush. While Edi recovered the Normandy from an attempt from the collectors taking over the ships computers, Anya's group was attacked. After dispatching the enemy and checking the console out once more, Edi informed her that the signal the illusive man intercepted was actually fake. He had made a fake distress signal, and Edi had caught on to it after the attack. Anya felt betrayed and above all, furious.

Once she got back to the Normandy, she stormed into the comm room to contact the illusive man. Her blood seethed as she recalled his casual dismissal of her anger. Yes, they needed information on how to get through the Omega 4 relay, but not at the cost of her and her crew. At the very least now, they knew of a way through the relay. She needed to get her hands on a special IFF. She looked up briefly as Garrus passed by on his way out, taking just a moment to pat his hand on her shoulder. Garrus knew her well enough to know she just needed to cool off, so he nodded in return to her own as he left without a word.

She grit her teeth as she stripped her rifle for cleaning, not noticing that save but one body, she was alone in the armory. It was that all too familiar tingle in the back of her head that signaled Thane was still near, and with how persistent it was, he had to have been close. He came to stand beside Anya, reaching next to her to pick up her pistol and calmly take it apart and clean it. Anya stopped for a second, looking behind her at the other table where his own gear lay neatly, already taken care of, then noticed only she and Thane remained in the room. Jacob surprisingly wasn't at his usual station, and she already knew that Garrus had left. She supposed she was thankful for that as she looked back at Thane, who had yet to say anything, and let out a heavy sigh. She offered him a small grateful smile, to which he nodded softly.

They hadn't been alone together since that time in the shower room a couple weeks back. Thane had come along for a few missions since, but had kept a respectable distance, as had she. A small blush flushed her cheeks as she remembered their exchange and she felt her body heat. _I still can't believe that even happened_ she thought, her gaze returning to her gear. Her eyes stared blindly at the table as she continued to work through cleaning her gear, only the sound in the room the metallic clinking of her guns. She suddenly felt the back of his hand brush her cheek, making her flush the deepest crimson she thought she ever had before. The touch made her almost drop her gun, and as she fumbled to keep a hold on it, Thane spoke out softly, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Shepard, what is this called? This...color change on your face I've seen you do sometimes. Do all humans do this? I've seen asari do this as also. Are you well?' His hand dropped from her face as Anya looked at him from the corner of her eye, an inquisitive look on his face. He was leaned against the table now, already finished with her pistol. She cleared her throat, finishing the last bit of putting her rifle together as she scrambled for words in her mind.

"It's...called a blush. Yes, all humans can do it. It happens when..." She bit her lip softly as she stole a glance at him. He was focused on her lips, which only made her blush even harder as she recalled their kiss. A look passed over his face and he cleared his throat softly. It almost seemed like he was trying to maintain a semblance of control. She recalled when she did that the day they bumped into one another on the lower decks, it seemed to excite him. The idea intrigued her as she worked up the nerve to speak again. "It's what we do when we are shy, nervous or...embarrassed." Anya turned back to the table, now carefully rubbing an oil over her armor. Thane's voice was now a bit thick and husky as he in turn spoke again. The sound sent a delightful shiver down her spine.

"I see. I apologize, Shepard. It was not my intention to make you uncomfortable." He paused for a moment, and from the corner of her eye, she could see him regarding her quietly as she shook her head at him as if to disagree with his statement. "I am incorrect?" There was that hopefulness in his voice she had seen on his face that day in the shower.

"No Thane. You have not made me uncomfortable. I promise, it's ok." Anya offered him a small, shy smile, one she was glad he returned.

"I see. Well, I will return to my room, if you need me. I should return to my meditations." He bowed his head to her softly, Anya in return nodding her head to him, and left the room. When she was sure she was alone, she let out a loud breath. They had managed to continue working with one another on a professional level, but it was a fight against every one of her desires any time he was near to ignore the urge to wrap her arms around his sturdy shoulders and lose herself in his kiss. It had made her deliciously delirious last time, and against her better judgment, she wanted more. She smiled softly as she realized she was starting to fall for Thane as time passed. It almost seemed unfair to, since he was a dying man, but she couldn't deny her feelings. She wondered if he felt the same way as she put her gear in her locker before heading up to her cabin for some much needed sleep.

(- - -)

Thane smiled to himself softly. He could feel Anya outside the door to the life support room before it even opened. He kept his eyes closed as he felt her step into the room, coming to a stop about an arms length away from the back of his seat.

"Is there something you need?" He spoke softly, not turning to face her. He heard as she shuffled her feet slightly.

"I was hoping you had a moment to talk?" Thane lowered his hands to the table and nodded.

"If you wish, Shepard." He smiled at her softly as she sat down. He could tell she had just come from a shower recently. The coconut scent wafted through his senses like a soft caress, and he took a slow, deep breath, inhaling her smell and committing it to memory. She offered one of her own brilliant smiles at him as she settled into her chair. The last time she had been by to speak with him was a few days after they got back from the collector ship. They had talked about The Contract and his religious beliefs, and he had slipped into a memory of the first time he met Irikah, his deceased wife. He hadn't specified at the time that the woman in his memory was Irikah, as he felt it wasn't the right time to bring it up. He figured it would be brought up at some point though. As Anya spoke, Thane got the sense that he would be explaining that soon, though perhaps not today.

"When we last spoke, you started talking about a past event as if you were watching it." Anya had a curious look on her face. One of her brows were perched up, and he smiled. He found her curiosity endearing, like most other aspects of her.

"We drell have perfect memories. We can relive any moment in our lives with perfect clarity." He offered as explanation. "It's difficult to control at times. Some of us disappear into...hmm...let's call it solipsism." A confused look crossed Anya's face briefly.

"What do you mean by solipsism?"

"When a memory feels as real as life, it's as valid as life. Thinking about a moment brings back the smell of cut grass, the warmth of another's hand on yours, the taste of another's tongue in your mouth" Thane inwardly smiled as his last few words made Anya blush and visibly squirm every so slightly. He leaned forward towards her, a smile on his face. "Wouldn't you rather lose yourself in such a memory than spend the night alone, staring at walls of metal and plastic?" He said, almost as if to hint about recalling their moment together. Thane was rewarded with another deep blush from Anya in response. No doubt she too was thinking of that night down in the shower. He had taken the time to talk to Mordin recently and had learned that it was commonly a sign of not only embarrassment, like Anya had mentioned several days ago, but also something females did as a positive reaction to something someone they are attracted to says or does. He chuckled inwardly and smiled as she made an attempt to keep the conversation neutral.

"Isn't there a chance you could lose yourself in bad memories as well then?" He nodded, letting her change the subject just slightly.

"Of course. Remembering times I have taken bullets is...unpleasant, but I can look down at my knee and see that it is not shattered." He gestured to his leg a bit. "The memories that are hard to escape are those of despair." She nodded to him, and continued her curious inquiry.

"So you can remember everything that happened in your life?" Thane smiled at her curiosity, happy to indulge in it. He smirked a bit, a bit of humor coloring his voice.

"Nearly. Though I suspect if we were to remember the birth trauma, we'd never recover from it." Anya rewarded him with one of her laughs. It was like listening to the birds sing, such a beautiful sound. He smiled as he waited for her to recover, studying how her eyes crinkled at the corners as she laughed and finding it just one more adorable trait she possessed.

"Sorry about that. I probably shouldn't laugh at that." Anya blushed softly at him, but continued with he shook his head with a smile and waved a hand for her to continue with what she was going to say. "So, that means you can remember every assassination you've ever made?" Thane nodded slightly, sitting up in his seat.

"Yes, in perfect detail. I remember every mistake I made, every target's last breath." A sad look passed over Anya's delicate features, and Thane resisted his urge to cradle her cheek in his hand as she spoke out softly.

"That sounds difficult. At any time you could relive the guilt." Thane shook his head.

"Guilt? No. I've never felt any particular guilt about any of my contracts. My employers killed them. My body was just the tool they used. If you kill a man with your gun, do you hold the gun responsible?" An incredulous look popped onto her face as she shook her head.

"My gun can't decide right from wrong Thane, where as you clearly do."

"My soul does, but my body is merely flesh who's reflexes were honed to kill. Drell minds are different from your own. We see our body as a vessel, and accept that it is not always under our control.

"That's a strange way of looking at yourself." Anya shifted in her seat. She still looked a bit discomforted by his words, so he hoped to sooth some of her concern over.

"Humans often believe in a soul distinct from the body. A spirit responsible for moral reasoning that lives on after the body's death. Our belief is just a bit more literal." Anya stared idly at the table between them for a moment, contemplating what he had said. When she nodded and returned her gaze to his, he smiled. She then changed the subject.

"So, as I said before, the last time we talked, you remembered one of your assassinations. You said something about sunset colored eyes?" She once again looked at him with unabashed curiosity. Thane sat up a bit, leaning away from her as his brow furrowed slightly.

"Ahh. That time..." Thane drifted into his memory watching it replay in his head like a movie. " _Laser dot trembles on his skill. Spices on the spring wind. Sunset eyes defiant in the scope."_ Slipping back out of the memory, he returned his focus to Anya. "A bystander noticed my spotting laser and threw herself between me and my target. She couldn't see me, but she stared me down." Thane leaned on his elbows as Anya spoke again.

"Did you take the shot?" Anya asked softly.

"Not that day."

"It was odd that you just blurted that out. Was that just another vivid drell memory?"

"Not...No. She was a vivid person." Thane stared down at his hands. Anya sat quiet for a moment, and then stood slowly. He could sense she wanted to ask more, but found himself thankful that she didn't.

"I see. I should get back to my duties. Thanks for talking with me." She smiled down at him softly, a soft blush caressing her smooth cheeks. He looked up at her, studying her face.

"Shepard, I enjoy these chats we have." She paused and looked down at him again, a sad look passing through her gaze.

"You've spent a lot of your life alone, Thane." He chuckled at her words softly.

"Work fulfilled me, as did reading. I barely spoke to anyone outside of my family. It seems there will be no one there to mourn me when I die. You're the only friend I've made in ten years." As he returned his gaze to her, he was surprised to see a hopeful glimmer in her eyes.

"Friend, huh? Well, I suppose that's a start." Anya smiled down at him. He realized she was openly flirting with him. They had been friendly and professional up to this point after their little incident in the shower. The idea that she seemed openly interested in more than just friendship intrigued him. He of course knew without a doubt he was interested in her, and even cared for her a bit. He decided it was best to play it slow and see how things played out.

"A start? That sounds intriguing." He chuckled softly as he once again leaned his elbows on the table, resuming his usual position for meditation. He offered a last smile at Anya before she left, stating he'd always be there to talk if she wished. As the door slid shut, he stood and walked over to the adjacent wall, staring aimlessly at his weapons on the shelf. _Can we make a relationship work?_ He wondered. _And what of intima_ _cy_ _?_ Thane cleared his throat as once again his mind drifted to their heated encounter weeks ago. He had payed no mind then as to whether such a thing was even possible between their two species, as they were both caught up in the heat of the moment at the time. He shifted his stance as he drifted into what he had just described to Anya as solipsism. _Her_ _body_ _tremble. Voice thick with pleasure. Moans my name...grips my body in need as I reach_ _between us_ _._

Taking a deep breath, Thane pulled himself back from the memory. He readjusted himself as he became aware of his body's usual reaction to any thought of Anya that he had. Once again cursing the restrictive nature of his clothes, he looked at his usual seat, then instead stretched out over his small cot. Unable to force himself to meditate, he wondered just how much longer he could contain his desire for Anya before it overwhelmed him. Closing his eyes, he instead let his mind wander to new images of his alluring commander, his thoughts slipping to away to sleep and vivid dreams.

(- - -)

Anya's heart was beating at what seemed a million miles a minute as she sat at her desk. _I can't believe I said that!_ She thought back to her conversation with Thane just a short bit ago. She bit her lip as she recalled the flutter of emotions that ran over his face as she finally openly admitted her interest in something more than friendship from Thane. Intrigue, surprise, and perhaps even the same interest as her own had washed over his face. _Could he have been thinking something similar...just hadn't said anything?_ She thought to herself. The idea made her whole body tingle with excitement. She bit her lip as she pondered the notion as she looked at her computer, noticing a notification for new messages. Popping them open, the top one caught her eye the most. It was a message from Kaiden.

His letter was conflicted, both happy she was alive, but again upset about her working with Cerberus. He apologized for his behavior, and spoke of how it had been for him. When she read that he had finally allowed himself to go have drinks with a doctor on the citadel, she cringed. Her heart wrenched a bit, but then she realized she didn't blame him. He thought she was dead. He moved on, and she realized she had too in the months since she had been woken up. She still cared, but she knew it was time to move on. She looked over at his picture on her desk, studying Kaiden's features. He had a strong jaw, beautiful brown eyes, and thick, dark hair. She ran a thumb over his image for a moment with a sad smile, then placed his photo back down on her desk face down. It was over, and she knew it.

Groaning as she let out a good stretch, she stood and changed into her tank and shorts before crawling into bed. She let her thoughts of Kaiden dissipate into thoughts of Thane once more, letting her mind shift between memories of the shower, and other new enticing scenarios she liked to make up. Deciding that tomorrow she would worry about looking for an IFF, Anya instead let herself drift to sleep with images of Thane. Her last waking thought was an all too vivid image of him above her as he slowly buried himself inside her.


	6. Chapter 6 - Join Me?

Anya stood by silently for a moment as she watched Mordin analyze the body of a deceased female krogan. She had been tested on, the body bearing the angry track marks of countless injections, signs of tumors as a result of the tests performed on her. Thane stood silently by, watching their rear. They were deep in Weyrloc territory on Tuchanka, the krogan home world, and the last thing they needed was a pissed off krogan charging them while their backs were turned. Anya had been on Tuchanka earlier this week as well, helping out Grunt, who also had some issues that he needed resolved. It had turned out Grunt was simply going through what human's referred to as puberty. It had taken her by surprise when Wrex had allowed Grunt into the clan after passing his rites despite being a tank bred krogan. Wrex was another one of her old team back in her chase of Saren. She recalled as she damn near had to shoot him on Virmire when she stated she would be destroying the mock cure that Saren was trying to create. Seeing him now as clan Urdinot's leader, and alive and well brought a smile to her face.

Here they were once again on Tuchanka, this time for Mordin. Aboard the Normandy, Anya had received a frantic message from Mordin, delivered to her by Kelly. When she went to check up on the doctor, Mordin had asked for her help in rescuing one of his students, Maelon. Mordin's sources led him to believe that Maelon had been kidnapped by the krogan to cure the genophage, and Wrex's clan mates pointed them in the direction of clan Weyrloc. Anya was brought out of her musings as Mordin leaned against the table the dead female lay upon. His face bore a look of distress, his voice low and distraught.

"Sterile Weyrloc female willing to risk procedures. Hoped for cure. Pointless. Pointless waste of life." Anya quirked a surprised brow his direction and gestured lightly to the body as the two began to discuss her and the genophage. Her face was sympathetic as Mordin tried to explain his role in his work, as well as his view on what had been done to the female before them. She tried to not sound so cold as she responded. She didn't agree with the genophage, but as they continued discussing it, she began to understand Mordin's view better. As Mordin spoke some spiritual words over the young body, Thane came to stand beside her and bowed his head over folded hands. She assumed he was offering his own silent prayer to Kalihira, his goddess of oceans and the afterlife. She smiled softly at the sentiment. Mordin nodded in small thanks to Thane after he raised his head, realizing what Thane was doing. Mordin's face was solemn as they continued discussing the genophage. With a sigh, he glanced at Anya, looking ashamed.

"Modified genophage project great in scope. Scientifically brilliant, but ethically difficult. Krogan reaction visceral, tragic. Not guilty, but responsible. Trained as doctor. Genophage affects fertility. Doesn't kill. Still...caused this. Hard to see big picture behind pile of corpses."

"Can you really just rationalize it all away like that Mordin? How do you justify it?" She tried to keep her voice soft, sympathetic. Mordin inhaled loudly, then let it out softly, collecting his thoughts for a moment.

"Wheel of life. Popular salarian concept. Similar to human Hinduism in focus on reincarnation. Appealing to see life as endless. Fix mistakes in next life. Learn, adapt, improve." Anya nodded quietly. She could see how that made sense. She wasn't really religious herself, but she couldn't disagree with what Mordin was saying. She returned her gaze to the body as he continued. From the corner of her eye, she could see Thane had finished whatever silent prayer he was saying for the female before them "Refused to believe life ends here. Too wasteful. Have more to offer. Mistakes to fix. Cannot end here. Could do so much more."

"Mordin, I'm sorry, but if you need this much soul searching, maybe the genophage was wrong?"

"Had to be done. Rachni Wars, Krogan Rebellions all pointed to krogan aggression. So many simulations. Effects of krogan population increase. All pointed to war. Extinction. Genophage or genocide. Save galaxy from krogan. Save krogan from galaxy." Anya thought for a moment over everything Mordin said before finally speaking.

"I understand Mordin. I know its hard, but I believe that at the time that you did the right thing. Your work saved lives" She smiled sympathetically at him.

"Not easy. Sometimes wish I wasn't as intelligent. Choice would have fallen on someone else. Not my problem. Fools wish. Had to be me. Others might have gotten it wrong." He paused and took one last glance at the krogan, then looked back to Shepard with a determined look in his eye. "Ready to go, Shepard." She nodded, and he took point. Leading the further into the hospitals ruins in search of Maelon. Thane fell in step next to Anya, his dark eyes meeting hers. His voice was low as then rounded a corner to another empty hall.

"You were kind to show him sympathy. I think most would have been quite harsh, one way or another." Anya nodded to him. Most people would have told him he was foolish for feeling sorry, that the genophage wasn't wrong and should never be cured. She understood Mordin. At the time, it was the best choice. There was no need to demonize him for that. She hoped one day the genophage could be cured, and the krogan once again given hope. Maybe by then they'd have changed enough that they could safely do so. She smiled softly at Thane.

"He is my friend. He believed what he did at the time was right. And I believe in him. So I will trust his judgment. In time, maybe we can actually cure the genophage. And I'm sure Mordin will be right there when that time comes." She smiled again, and blushed slightly as Thane rewarded her with one of his own rare smiles. The caught up to Mordin and proceeded into the last room of the hospital, finding his student unarmed. After a bit of discussion, they learned that Maelon was there of his own free will. It was his choice to do the experiments. Anya watched as a torn Mordin grasped Maelon by his collar, aiming his pistol at the frantic salarian. Thane started to move next to her in order to grab Mordin, but she was a hair faster, grabbing his arm and shaking her head as Mordin glanced over his shoulder at her.

"Wait, Mordin. You're not a murder!" She shook her head again. From the corner of her eye, she could see Thane poised to lunge at Mordin should he try to take Maelon's life anyways. Maelon smiled and nodded frantically to his old tutor. With a deep breath and then letting it out slowly, Mordin released Maelon.

"You're right, not a murder. Leave Maelon."

"Where am I supposed to go!?" He cried miserably. Mordin waved a hand at him dismissively.

"Don't care. Go to Omega. Could always use another clinic." As Maelon ran, Mordin turned to the data his student had compiled and sighed. "Thank you Shepard. Wanted to kill him. Should have. Easier than listening." It was Thane who then spoke up. Mordin glanced over his shoulder briefly at him.

"It would have been a poor choice, Dr. Solas. As you stated, you are not a murder. He was trying to do something good, albeit poorly conducted and misguided. You would have regretted killing him. However hard it may be, sometimes simply listening is the best action to put an end to a tragic disaster." Mordin gave a soft hmm and then nodded in silent acceptance of Thane's words. Anya turned back to Mordin, convincing him to save Maelon's data for now. If they ever did cure the genophage in the future, Maelon's data could prove to be invaluable. They wiped the local data and restricted any chance Maelon had of recovering any further information from the salarians old STG files, and left the grounds, returning to the camp, and eventually the Normandy.

( - - - )

Thane reached over and took claim of Anya's pistol, stripping it calmly and cleaning it for her. The softest of sighs escaped her, and he turned his glance to a humored smirk dancing at the corner of her pouty lips. With a shake of her head at him and a slight jarring of his arm with her elbow, she went back to stripping and cleaning her rifle. He chuckled a bit. It had become a customary thing he did after their missions together. After he finished with his own gear, he helped Anya with her own, even though she always protested she was more than capable of doing it and didn't want to be a burden. She finally stopped protesting so much, but she still gave him the exaggerated sighs and gentle jarring to be ornery. Thane chuckled inwardly and slid the barrel back into her pistol after giving it a good rub down with oil.

They cleaned in silence for a bit, and Thane smirked as he felt Anya's gaze keep slipping to steal a glance at him. It was silly, adolescent crush behavior, but Thane found it amusing and let it continue. He took delight whenever he would shift ever so slightly, his body grazing against hers. He could feel the heat of her body radiating from where he stood, heard every time her breath hitched in her throat. A buzz of energy seemed to radiate between the two of them any time their skin touched. He found it intoxicating and it took all he had not to reach over and satisfy his craving for more. As he finished with her pistol, he set it down, Anya finishing with her rifle about the same time. Leaning against the table with his arms folded, he watched her as she put her gear into her locker. He swallowed hard as she blushed under his watchful gaze and bit her lip. Unless he thought of a distraction, and quickly, Thane would have thrown caution to the wind and crossed the armory to lay claim to her mouth then and there. A sudden idea popped into his head, one that sounded quite nice the more he thought of it. He offered Anya a soft smile as he spoke up.

"Commander, would you care to join me for lunch this afternoon?" His brow arched and an amused smirk flickered at the corner of his mouth as she fumbled with the last of her armor, almost dropping it on the floor at his question. Finally securing it while cursing under her breath at a shin guard, she turned to him, her flustered expression a mixture of curiosity and surprise.

"Lunch?"

"Yes. I figured we could head to the Citadel and have something up on the presidium."

"Well...um...right now?"

"If you like, Commander." Thane smiled at her, watching her brow furrow in thought for a slight second before nodding, her black tresses bobbing at her brow line.

"Perhaps I can shower first? I smell like dirt and dead varren. That's not exactly an appetizing smell to have over chow." Anya smiled sheepishly at him, seeming apologetic. Thane nodded his head slightly her way with a smile as he stood straight. She almost always was blunt rather than subtle, a trait he rather appreciated about her.

"Of course. I will meet you in the docking bay once we get there." He offered her a slight bow after she offered him a bright smile and nodding, then turned to leave the room. Figuring he should do the same, he made his way first to his room for a fresh change of clothes and then made his way to the showers.

( - - - )

Anya bit her lip after Thane left the armory to keep from squealing like a little girl over a date with her crush. Inhaling and exhaling slowly, she raised her voice a bit, stepping out of the armory to CIC, checking her private terminal for anything important.

"Joker, set a course for the citadel." Seeing nothing of immediate importance, she flicked the screen off just as the overhead comm chirped.

"Any particular reason commander?" Anya smirked at her pilots usual orneriness.

"Because I'm the commander and I said so. Edi, let the crew know we are talking a little R&R time." Jokers laugh rang out over the intercom.

"I'm just messin', Commander. Course set." Edi's voice popped up next.

"As you wish, Shepard." With a smile and a small wave to Kelly, who waved at her enthusiastically, she made her way towards the lab. Seeing as they had around an hour and a half until they docked at the citadel, Anya figured she'd check up on Mordin. She wanted to make sure he was ok after the events that aspired on Tuchanka. As she stepped into his lab, she could hear him faintly singing some little patter in between rambling to himself in his usual hurried fashion. She Anya smirked as she recalled Kelly's description of him when he first came aboard. She had said Mordin was like a hamster on coffee, and Anya suppressed a giggle. It was a fitting description. A salarian had a short lived life. Many of them were almost manic in their normal behavior, with face paced speech patterns and actions. They were a little twitchy to say the least. Seeing as they only lived to be about 40 or so in human years, Anya supposed that made sense. As she came to a stop in front of Mordin's desk, he finally stepped away from his computer, leveling his gaze with Anya's.

"Still hard to believe Maelon betrayed me. Betrayed my work. Disgusted by his actions. Proud of his nerve, though. Always thought he lacked backbone." Mordin smirked slightly before continuing. "Hope he finds something new. Better goals, better purpose. Fewer torture tests." He inhaled deeply, then let it out softly. Anya quirked a brow.

"You're really at peace with what happened?"

"Yes, of course. Can't change what happened. Life continues. Back to mission, back to work. Become like Maelon otherwise." He explained. He was very animated as he spoke, bouncing his head side to side with each point before leaning forward and resuming his flurried typing at his terminal. "Salarian emotional processing faster than other species. Has to be. Short-lived culture. Can't spend time reminiscing." Anya blinked in confusion, regarding Mordin with surprise.

"So you really don't feel bad at all about what happened on Tuchanka?"

"Yes, correct. Now at least. Greatly distressed at the time. Stages of grief. Loss, anger, rationalization. Dealt with it. Most issues settled on Tuchanka. Some on shuttle back to Normandy." He rubbed at a speck of an unknown substance on his desk as he spoke, smiling up at Anya before resuming typing yet again. Anya assumed it was either Maelon's genophage data, or his data on the collectors. She shrugged a bit before speaking.

"Maelon didn't seem like he processed his emotional response. He was obsessed with the genophage." Mordin furrowed his brows, nodding slightly.

"True. Didn't mean to imply that salarians were healthier emotionally. Can still make wrong choices, bad decisions from grief, anger, guilt. Maelon couldn't accept feelings, made decision, executed. Probably before I left for Omega. Wish I'd seen it." He adverted his gaze for a moment from Anya's, sounding briefly remorseful. "Salarians still feel, just resolve it quickly. Explains lack of marriage. Can't sustain courtship emotions. Or perhaps based on reproduction. Unsure." Anya suppressed a smirk at the last bit of his words, Mordin sounding almost embarrassed by the last part of his statement. She chose however to leave it alone, more curious about the data they recovered from Maelon.

"So what about his data on the genophage? His attempts at a cure?"

"What about it? Its over there...somewhere" He gestured behind him at a stack of various papers, drives, and other odds and ends. "It's not important now. Need to focus on collectors. Appreciate you helping me back on Tuchanka. Should get back to work. Wasted enough time already. Lots to do. Talk later?" Mordin smiled at Anya, expression filled with gratitude. She returned his smile and nodded.

"Sure thing, Mordin. Any time. If you need anything else, let me know?" She chuckled as he nodded to her, resuming one of his patters as he worked. Heading back to the CIC and catching just a small bit of his song as the doors slid shut, Anya laughed out loud.

"...very model of a scientist salarian..." Kelly looked at Anya with a quirked brow, her expression one of confusion. Anya smiled and jerked a thumb in the labs direction.

"Mordin being Mordin." She grinned wider as Kelly gave a knowing smile and an 'Aha' before returning to a report she seemed to be filing. Anya stepped up to her own terminal, checking her messages one more time. Satisfied that it all seemed to be spam mail, or thank you messages, she checked the time. She had about an hour left after talking with Mordin, so she figured she should get her shower in now. Her thoughts now drifted back to her lunch date with Thane and she became jittery with excitement. She stepped into the elevator, pressing the button in order to go up.

Squirming impatiently, she cursed under her breath as she finally made it to her cabin. The elevator could be so slow when she was in a hurry, and it drove Anya crazy some days. The thought of a one on one lunch date with Thane sent her mind reeling, and the sooner she got clean and dressed, the sooner they landed, the sooner she'd be alone on a date with him. _I cant believe I'm going on a_ _date….with -_ _Thane-_ _…_ she thought to herself, giggling giddily as she undressed and stepped into her shower. As she showered, she hummed a little tune to herself, occasionally singing the words out loud.

"This is transcendental, on another level. Boy, you're my lucky star. I wanna walk in your wavelength, and be there when you vibrate. For you I'd risk it all..." Anya smirked as she hummed more of the song. She had a thing for old music from back in the early 2000's and prior. Finishing her shower, she stepped out, wrapping a towel around her slender frame and walked to her wardrobe. She threw open the doors, looking for something suitable to wear on a lunch date other than Cerberus regs. Her eyes landing on the perfect thing, Anya grinned widely, pulled it out of her wardrobe and laid it on the bed. _Thank you, Kasumi. Hehe._


	7. Chapter 7 - The Date

Thane stood at a large balcony overlooking the presidium, gazing peacefully at one of the fountains and watching as a couple of young asari children splashed and laughed in the waters. He mostly paid no mind as the rest of the Normandy's crew disembarked from the ship. Apparently Anya had called for a little R&R for everyone, rather than just the two of them. He supposed that was a good idea. Everyone was wound up from trying to tie up loose ends and settle unfinished business. It was a daily thing to watch as Anya got called away by another of the crew. Just in the last couple weeks she had helped Mordin of course, as well as Grunt. She had helped Miranda recently as well. Miranda had a twin sister that she had kidnapped from her father in order to save her from her fathers twisted demands. Jack of course had need of Anya's help also, which upon their return, sparked a fight between Jack and Miranda in Miranda's office. A fight in which Thane could hear from the life support room. Jack had been screaming a slew of obscenities at Miranda, demanding that Miranda admit Cerberus was in the wrong with what they did to her. He had been surprised when Anya managed to dissolve the fight without anything major happening other than a few flung chairs.

Samara too, had requested Anya's help it seemed, much to Thane's surprise. The beautiful asari reminded him much of himself and his self induced solitude. He nodded to the proud warrior now, watching as she left the docking bay to no doubt find a quiet place to meditate alone. She nodded in return to him, her only her eyes bearing the truth of her inner thoughts. Samara's fugitive that she hunted at the time Anya recruited her was an Ardat-Yakshi. However, it was no regular Ardat-Yakshi. The one she hunted was none other than one of three of Samara's daughters. Thane had spoke with Samara about spiritualism and her code from time to time, and a few times Samara had mentioned her family. He had watched as she spoke of them proudly. Morinth, as she went by, was the one Samara sought to hunt down, and was the eldest of her three children. Morinth had become addicted to the thrill she got when she killed, and in turn had to be stopped. Anya and Samara had finally tracked her down last week on Omega, where they laid a trap for Morinth, ultimately ending with Morinth's death. The choice weighed heavy on Samara, and Thane felt a twinge of pity for the poor woman's broken soul.

Thane shook his head softly with an inward chuckle as he heard Mordin step out of the docking bay, chattering away with Jacob in his strange, manic way of speaking. With Garrus and Jacob also having settled their issues with Anya's help, He suspected he was the only one who didn't have any type of unfinished business, no loose ends to tie up. They were close to finding an IFF to get them through the Omega 4 relay, and then it would be over one way or another. As if on cue at Thane's inner musings, Garrus disembarked the ship next last aside from Anya herself, who hadn't come off the ship yet. He made his way over to where Thane stood, chuckling a bit as he took in Thane's appearance.

"Well look at you. Going someplace fancy, Krios?" he turned his gaze to his turian teammate, who for a change was wearing a simple shirt and pants of common among Garrus' kind, rather than his usual armor. Thane adjusted the collar of the black and blue dress shirt he wore, and looked down at the black pants. Kenneth down in engineering had lent him the dress attire, as Thane only wore his usual assassin outfits. It was a little constricting on his breathing, but not enough to cause him major discomfort. For the most part, the material was comfortably loose, to which Thane was grateful for considering his company to be. He nodded before resuming his watchful gaze at the children playing below.

"Indeed. I am going out to lunch."

"I assume you have a date? No one eats lunch alone dressed like that." Garrus jested, leaning his taloned hands against the railing and sweeping his gaze across the view before them. He gave a little hmm, the vibrating dual tone rumbling deep in his chest. "Treat her well, Thane. She deserves a little bit of a distraction. After everything she's been through, she needs this as much as the rest of us." He chuckled some. Thane nodded in agreement.

"Indeed..." Thane sensed Anya's proximity closing in through their strange connection as Garrus spoke up, interrupting any further response from him at the time.

"Speaking of distraction..." Garrus whistled lowly, his gaze fixed in the direction of the ship. Thane took a step back to look past his Turian teammate to see Anya walking towards them, a blush flushing her tanned skin deeply as she fumbled her hands over one another before her. His gaze traveled slowly from toe to head as he swallowed hard, focusing on not allowing himself to get physically aroused in the middle of such a public space. She was dressed head to toe in curve hugging black. Her small feet were slipped into heels attached to her feet by delicate straps. He slid his gaze up a slender, shapely, bare calf to just above mid thigh, where the hem of a short dress cut off the view of the rest of her long legs. He passed his gaze over the curve of her hips, where the fabric hugged tightly against her body. Continuing his upward visual trail, his path led him over her breasts, the creamy mounds of flesh pushed up and together by the fabric. Thane licked his lips and cleared his throat a bit, taking in her bare shoulders and arms, visually devouring every delicious bit of her appearance before finally looking her in the eye. She wore a subtle make up, her cerulean eyes enhanced by smokey, dark shadow, and a simple glossy shine to her natural lips pink shade. It was easy to forget sometimes that under that armor and soldiers bravado, Anya was every much of a soft, sensual, sexual, desirable woman as any one of the random ladies that wandered the presidium that day.

"Damn...Thane you lucky devil." He heard Garrus mutter softly. Anya came to a stop a couple feet away, smiling softly. No doubt she could see the blatant desire in his eyes as he took in her delectable appearance. She bit her lip, and he had to again focus to maintain control of himself.

"Hey...guys. Heh." Anya chuckled a bit. She brushed a strand of her black tresses from her brow with a blush. A small breeze carried the scent of her coconut wash to Thane's nose and he inhaled deeply.

"Lookin' good, Shepard. Hehe. You should dress up more often. This look suits you. You know, we could take a picture! Maybe the collectors and the reapers will fall in love and do all your bidding. Then you can order them to stay the hell away." Garrus jested with Anya a bit, pulling a good natured laugh and a 'You wish, Vakarian!' from her. Still in dumbstruck awe of her beauty, Thane patiently stood silent as the two joked. Seeing Thane still standing by silently, Garrus gave him a pat on the back, pulling him forwards towards Anya. "Well, I won't keep you two. You two have fun." He gave both Thane and Anya a smile, and meandered off in the direction of the wards. After he left, Anya looked at him and smiled sheepishly.

"You look nice, Thane. Guess I wasn't the only one with the idea to dress up for this. Do...do you like it?' She splayed her hands out to her sides slightly, glancing down at her attire as a soft blush flushed over her flesh from head to toe. In an instant Thane snapped from his stupor. Reaching for her hand, he brought it up slowly while maintaining eye contact, pressing her knuckles to his lips gently. He was rewarded with a brilliant smile as he did. Her skin was as soft as he remembered it from those months ago when they had their first encounter. She was warm, and smelled of coconut and lavender and he basked in the scent of her. As he spoke, his voice was thick, husky. He smiled as he watched a shiver caressed its way down her body.

"You look….absolutely ravishing, Commander." She smiled radiantly again. _You are as beautiful as a Goddess, Anya..._ he thought.

"You look pretty handsome yourself, Thane." Anya winked at him, offering him a coy smile. He chuckled and bowed his head in thanks, offering her his arm. When she draped her arm through his with an amused smile, they made their way from the docking bay to a small restaurant, taking a seat next to a balcony with a view of the presidium, the arms, a whole great expanse of the citadel. After both ordering tea and receiving their drinks, Anya looked at Thane as he spoke softly.

"Thank you for meeting with me for lunch, Shepard. I felt you use the break after the last mission on Tuchanka. Plus it gives us a chance to talk." Thane smiled at Anya softly. She returned the gesture and nodded, gazing out over the sublime view before them. Thane, in turn, was unable to take his eyes off her. He basked in her beauty, committing the image to memory.

"I appreciate that. You're right. We deserve a little break. The last couple months have been...stressful, to say the least. I only hope we are getting close to putting an end to this. I think we all are." Thane nodded as she continued, returning her gaze to meet his head on. "So what did you want to talk about?" Thane smiled a bit, leaning forward and folding his hands before him on the table.

"I would like to know more about you, Shepard." A surprised look washed over Anya's delicate features.

"About me? Ermm...why?" A brow was arched slightly as she regarded him, awaiting his response.

"Usually when you come to chat with me on the Normandy, we discuss myself. I would like to hear more about you this time, if that is alright with you." Thane explained simply. Anya inhaled slowly, nodding and offering a smile his direction as she appeared to be thinking of where to start.

"Well...I grew up on space ships. Both my parents are Alliance military. At 18, I joined into 'the family business'." Anya made little quotation signs in the air with a smirk before continuing. Thane chuckled softly. "It was hard for a while, you know? Trying to live up to everyone's expectations. My parents are well respected in the military, and naturally everyone else wanted to see if I would live up to the hype. I wasn't some big shot then...not that I think I am now either of course, despite the opinion of everyone else. After the attack on Elysium, however, things changed." Anya shrugged a bit, and Thane took the pause in her recollection to ask about Elysium.

"I've heard stories of your deeds on Elysium, but I don't know what I've heard is fact or fanciful fiction. What happened, if I may ask?" Thane tilted his head a bit to the side quizzically. Anya stared down at her hands for a moment before she spoke, fidgeting her fingers a bit.

"I was sent to Elysium on a standard patrol. While there, my team and I were ambushed by batarian slavers looking to kidnap some of the colonies. It was a damned disaster. A lot of my crew ended up behind enemy lines as hostages. We were out manned and out gunned from the start. The ones that weren't captured I had bunker down and hold the line as best they could. At some point, there was finally a break in the batarian's defenses and I used it to sneak behind their lines. Post by post I crept, taking down out different groups, freeing my team. Damn couple times I thought for sure I would be discovered. A couple times, I actually was." Anya paused for a second, absently rubbing at a scar that dipped down the back of her shoulder. From a glance, it looked like an omni-blade wound to Thane. She breathed out a heavy sigh before continuing, Thane listening patiently as she spoke.

"It felt like it dragged on forever, but I finally managed to free my men, and by then, there were so few of the slavers who could fight us. Some retreated, some surrendered. At the end of It all, most of my men escaped with their lives, though there were several who were severely wounded. The people ended up calling me a war hero for almost single-handedly taking out the enemy and saving my crew, and the Alliance gave me a few medals for my actions" Anya shook her head with a snort. "My men were a huge help. Without them holding the line and keeping the batarians distracted, I don't think I could have ever made it behind their lines to rescue the ones that were being held hostage. I'm no hero" She leaned back in her seat and cast a half smile at Thane. He shook his head, sympathetic, but also impressed.

"Hmm. While you feel like you would not have survived if not for your men, Commander, I'm sure your men feel that they would not have survived if not for _you._ That sounds like a hero to me." Thane offered softly. She shook her head softly.

"I'm just a soldier, Thane. Nothing special."

"But you are special." At his words, Anya blushed deeply and she averted her gaze out and over the balcony shyly. Thane chuckled as she continued her story.

"Ahem...so. After Elysium, I was offered a spot in the N7 program. Basically its the Alliances elite soldiers. N7's are kind of like the council's Spectres. Only we are expected to maintain the morals and laws as any of the other soldiers in the Alliance military. I suppose the Alliance soldier in me is what keeps me from being like some spectres. Heh." Anya chuckled and shrugged a bit. "At first, I wasn't sure I should join, or that I even deserved such an honor. It was Captain Anderson who suggested I take it. At his prompting, I finally did. And well, then came Saren and the geth, Sovereign, and of course here we are now. Collectors and reapers trying to destroy our galaxy, kidnap our colonists, and I'm on a wild and crazy mission again to stop it all again just like we did two years ago." Sitting back and taking a sip of her tea, she pursed her lips petulantly. After a moment she chuckled, shaking her head. Quirking his own brow, Thane set his cup down after taking a long drink of his own aromatic beverage.

"Something humorous, Shepard?" She nodded, her eyes meeting his.

"i just thought of something Mordin always says. 'Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong.' Heh, I'll do my damn best to stop the reapers and the collectors. Someone has to. And if no one else will, then, I guess it really did have to be me." She smiled brilliantly at Thane and leaned her elbows against the table softly. They sat in silence for a bit. Thane smiled inwardly, feeling alive and awake for the first time in many years. He took in the details of her face for what seemed like the hundredth time. Her blue eyes looked at him in a way it set his body on fire in the most delicious way before looking out over the balcony, spying a few kids playing with toy ships and laughing. A giggle bubbled out of her throat as she watched them briefly.

As she turned her gaze back to his and opened her mouth to speak, and long before he could take a moment to think about the action, Thane reached one of his hands across to hers where it lay on its side, aching to feel her touch, her skin. She jumped slightly in surprise as he traced his fused digits over her palm, reveling in the softness of them. It amazed him that her hands could be so soft, given the fact she was a soldier. He assumed she pampered herself well during down time. A rush of desire spiraled into his loins as he imagined pampering her in all manner of ways. His thoughts focused back to the present as he continued caressing Anya's palm. She of course rewarded him with one of her endearing blushes and the shyest of smiles. Whatever her words were to be, they were lost on the moment the instant he touched her luscious skin.

After a moment, she stopped his gentle caressing, picking up his hand softly and examining where his middle two fingers were fused. When she looked to his other hand, he lifted it up next to the one she already held. His breath caught as she regarded his hands with a furrowed brow. He wondered if she found them to be repulsive. Anya's hands were soft and gentle as she traced a finger over the minor dip between the two, right where they were fused at the length. She cocked a brow with a curious expression.

"Are all drell's hands this way, Thane?" The thickness of her voice caught him off guard, and he felt his desire for her rearing its head yet again. He could sense hers in the sultry tones of her voice. _Not here, Thane. Not here._ He thought to himself. Readjusting in his seat, he nodded. His own voice came out low and rough, and he watched as the slightest of shivers made her twitch. As he responded to her question, he wondered if she found is tone appealing. Human mannerisms still confused him, despite the amount of research he had spent doing after their brief encounter in the shower so many months ago. He had researched more after Anya had openly expressed an interest in more than just friendship.

"Ah, yes. It is a genetic trait specific to my kind." Anya nodded, then bit her lip as she cast a slow, sweeping glance over his face. Thane suppressed a low groan as she bit her lip, taking in a slow, steady breath. Thane's groan wasn't suppressed long as she released his hands, reaching over the tiny table between them to trace a finger over the outer fringes on one side of his head. He let out the smallest of appreciative groans, watched as her chest rose and fell faster. Her arousal was palpable as her scent drifted around him. He was thankful for loose clothing and to be sitting as his own arousal became apparent to him. He was also thankful that where they sat was off on its own little corner, and that no one was around at the time.

"And this?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. Thane nodded at her, not trusting his voice to find the words to speak. His eyes slid shut for a moment as she caressed his fringes, one side at a time. She seemed to be testing how his skin felt below her soft fingertips. He could hear the sounds of her breath coming in as the softest of pants, and as Anya slid her fingers over the red frills that decorated the sides of his cheeks and his throat, he moaned softly. Each touch was sensual, and it lit a fire of desire that spiraled and crashed head first into his loins. He flung his eyes open and cast a quick gaze about the area, and spotted a dark corner nearby, out of the sight of prying eyes. He reached up and softly took her hands, immediately craving more of her touch the second they left his frills. He stood, pulling Anya up with him.

"Thane?" There was a hint of confusion in her face, as well as a curious spark in her oceanic eyes. Thane pulled her gently to the privacy of the corner, confident no one would see them unless they too stepped around the corner.

( - - - )

Anya bit her lip as she stared into Thane's eyes, allowing herself to be pulled into a dark little cove out of sight of anyone else in the area. His barely audible moans coaxed from the touch of her fingertips left her squirming even as she walked with him. The dark emerald green of Thane's eyes were so clear in this light, and they gleamed with intent, desire, and she found herself lost in his gaze. As the reached the little cove, she had enough time to inhale before Thane had pressed her firmly to the wall, his mouth on hers feverishly. She moaned ever so softly into his kiss, parting her lips to allow his demanding tongue access as it darted in and out of her mouth, curling around her own tongue. In moments, that same light headed buzzed feeling she felt the first time they kissed washed over her senses. Her whole body seemed to tingle as she hitched a leg behind his knee, him grinding his hips into hers in response. In the back of her mind, she thought she should feel worried about being caught, being out in public like this. Thane's persistent kisses quenched those thoughts as the moments stretched on.

His hands were roaming all over her body, gripping every one of her curves. Anya could hear Thane barely audible groan as his mouth left hers to spill slow kisses over the side of her neck. As his wandering hands stopped over a heaving breast and located her hardened nipple below the thin fabric to gave it a small pinch, she bit her lip to keep from crying out with pleasure. She arched her body into his hand instead, earning herself another soft moan into her neck and a firm thrust of his hips into hers where he was pressed against her core. In a sudden bold moment, she slipped her hand between their bodies, firmly gripping his erection through his pants. She blushed and bit her lip as his head darted up to meet her gaze. He was long, and thick. That much she could tell. Thanes voice was a ragged whisper of pleasure and need as she rubbed her hand against his hardened length.

"Anya..." She blinked in surprise momentarily as it registered that for the first time since they met he called her by her first name, rather than her last. The surprise was fleeting as she reached up her free hand to run over the velveteen crimson frills on his cheek, coaxing him to lean forward and kiss her again. The action caused his shaft to twitch wildly in her other hand, and his mouth came crashing over hers in another frenzied, demanding kiss. One of his hands reached between them to gently grab her wrist, pulling her hand up and away from his pulsating member to rest it against the side of his face. She grumbled in soft protest, with Thane's only response a devious sounding chuckle that he buried into the hollow of her throat. She realized he was exercising a tremendous amount of self constraint, taking his time teasing her rather than ravishing her on the spot.

As Thane scattered his kisses across her chest and over her shoulders, she took the opportunity to turn her head, cradling his softly and spilling her own kisses over his crimson frills. A pleased, low rumble of his voice against her chest made her grin, and she flicked her tongue out over his fringe, tracing the contour of the soft frills hidden under the fringes inner edge. An explosion of sensations erupted in her body, a myriad of colors seeming to flash in her mind as she felt higher than his kiss ever made her. The sensations swirled into her core, and she bit her lip harshly again as they pulsed almost painfully as she nearly hit her peak. Thane in turn shuddered against Anya at the touch of her tongue against his frills. His voice was instantly in her ear, thick with desire.

"Perhaps we should return to the Normandy, Anya. This would be much better suited to your cabin." He groaned slightly into her ear as she snuck her hand down to grip him again, softly stroking him through the fabric of his pants. He shuddered again, moaning just barely into her ear. Anya was pleasantly 'drunk' from his essence and in a haze as she nodded. She wanted more of his touch, and wanted it over every inch of her flesh. His exotic scent filled her senses as he pressed his lips to hers again and reached to unhitch her leg from behind his knee. As he dropped her foot softly to the ground and readjusted his swollen member to hide it, Thane's entire body stiffened against hers, followed by a highly annoyed grunt deep in his chest as his keen hearing picked up the sound of her comm chirping. Anya's blinked through the haze, confused for a second before her comm chirped again, drawing her out of her buzzed state. As it chirped a third time, she let out a low, almost feral growl. _You have -got- to be kidding me...again!?_ Her inner thoughts raged at the interruption. It was the shower room all over again.

"This had better be important..." Anya all but spat through grit teeth, crossing her arms after answering her persistent comm piece.

"Sorry, Commander. You have a message from the Illusive Man. He says its pretty important. Everyone else is already back aboard. Looks like shore leave is over, huh?" Joker's voice sounded apologetic over the ear piece. Anya sighed softly, glancing over at Thane who had abandoned his usual poker face and looked as frustrated as she felt.

"Roger that, Joker. We will be back shortly."

"Aye-aye, Commander." As her comm unit clicked back off, Anya shrugged and waved her hands a bit in a dramatic, exasperated fashion. She offered a sympathetic and apologetic look at Thane, who stood by silently with his eyes closed. "I'm so sorry, Thane. I suppose we will have to do a rain check on….lunch." She eyed their table, realizing they never had the opportunity to actually order any food before they got distracted. Of course by lunch, she meant more of losing herself in his kiss, his touch. Opening his eyes, Thane shook his head lightly at her. His gravelly voice was still low and husky, obviously catching on to her play on words, which sent a shiver down her spine. She leaned a bit against the wall, still feeling slightly heady from the effects of his kiss and when she licked his skin.

"There is no need to apologize, Shepard. We have a duty to finish our mission. Shall we return to the Normandy?" He offered her his arm. Physically, he appeared to have recovered from his own lusty state, his usual calm demeanor back in place. The predatory, hungry look that lingered in his eyes still, however, gave her delicious chills. She nodded and took his arm, smiling softly. He hesitated slightly before walking, leaning down to smile and plant another dizzying kiss on her lips, then lead the way back to the Normandy.

 _I swear, after this is over...my room, door locked, comm disabled. No...damn...interruptions._ Anya thought as they boarded the ship, winking discreetly at Thane, who nodded ever so softly in response with a hint of a smirk on his full, green lips. _But first...a change of clothes. I'm not meeting the Illusive Man in this._ Anya pursed her lips in annoyance as she looked down at her dress, grumbling audibly as the elevator chimed on arrival at her cabin. She pulled the slinky material over her head, flinging it on the bed and grudgingly reaching for her uniform.

 _Stupid Illusive Man..._


	8. Chapter 8 - Family Matters

Anya leaned against the center console in the comm room, staring blankly at the space between her hands. Her mind was running a million miles a minute as she took a steady breath. The illusive man had just spent the last 20 minutes informing her that he found the IFF that she and her crew needed to pass through the Omega 4 relay. It was on board a derelict reaper, and they just needed to go pick it up and install it into the Normandy. It was all coming down to the wire, and she needed a moment to collect her thoughts. _Just get this...then hit the Omega 4 relay. Then everything is done. Shit…_ Her thoughts raced. Her eyes slid closed as she took a slow steady breath, centering herself and calming her mind. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and stood straight, turning to head to the CIC. As she rounded the corner from the lab and was making her way to the galaxy map to check the location of the reaper, Kelly stopped her.

"Commander Shepard, I have a message for you."

"Is it important, Kelly? Or can it wait?"

"Its from Thane, Commander. It seems pretty important." Anya cocked her brow in curiosity.

"Alright. Thank you, Kelly." She nodded at her yeoman with a warm smile.

"No problem, Commander." Anya turned and stepped into the elevator instead, pressing the button for the crew deck. She mused at to what Thane wanted. They had just had yet another heated encounter just an hour or so ago. Her skin flushed and she bit her lip, wondering if he had plans to continue where they left off. She cleared her throat, squirming as the slow elevator was nearing its destination. As it chimed and the doors slid open, she stepped out, and then stopped just short of his door. Her face flushed again and she took a deep breath, feeling nervous. As she sat there for a second, through her strange connection to Thane she sensed something other than lust. There was a palpable air of distress permeating the area, and Anya was suddenly concerned. She stepped into the life support room, her eyes quickly finding him at his usual seat, leaned over the table on his elbows. She moved to stand next to the table, looking down at him with concern.

"Shepard..." He sat up, his dark eyes staring unseeingly out his small window into the drive core.

"Thane? Is there something wrong?" She watched as Thane hunched over, gaze moving to the table before him.

"Yes. Now that you are here though, it seems more difficult to talk about."

"Do you feel sick? I could get the doctor..." Anya's stomach clenched with worry.

"No, no. Though I suppose that is part of it. My mortality has me...dwelling on things." Thane stood and wandered over to the wall adjacent to his seat, coming to a stop before shelves containing his weapons. He folded his hands behind his back, staring blankly ahead. She could sense a feeling of hesitation in him before he spoke. "I had a family, once. I still have a son. His name is Kolyat. I haven't seen him in a very long time." The confession hit Anya full force in the gut like a biotic slam as she blindly stepped forward to stand beside him. She stared blankly after him for a moment, taken aback by this new information. _Had..he has a son...and that means...a wife._ Her mind reeled, and her voice answered as If on auto-pilot.

"Did something happen to them?" Thane look in her direction was apologetic, and it seemed he could sense her emotions reeling and that she was in need of answers. However, whatever was bothering him was important it seemed, so she drug herself out of her shocked state to respond and listen to what he had to say. Her stomach and heart wrenched painfully, though, and she swallowed hard, putting on as good of a poker face as she could muster.

"I abandoned them." Anya's stony expression faltered as she look at him with shock, her jaw slack a bit. Thane looked back at his weapons, explaining what he meant before she could speak. "Though, not all at once. Nothing dramatic. No sneaking out in the middle of the night. No final argument or slammed door." He looked back at her, his eyes begging her to understand. His look was full of shame and regret. "I just...did my job. I hunted and killed across the galaxy. 'Away on business,' my wife would tell people. I was always...away on business."

"How long has it been since you talked?"

"Ten years. He showed me some of his school work and asked if we could dance crazy. We did that when he was younger."

"What sort of dance is that?" Anya was shocked as her voice came out flat, emotionless.

"Its – _I check my extranet contacts. I expect and update on my next target. The console plays music. Old. Unfashionable. Kolyat jumps into the room. 'Hi Father!' Runs around in circles. I scoop him up. Toss him into the air. He shrieks, laughs. 'Spin me!' The console beeps. I put him down. Click the message. 'Father' he pleads. Tugs my sleeve. 'I need to read this,' I say. I don't look at him."_ Thane hung his head, a look of shame on his face. Anya was filled with confusion as she tried to process this information.

"You never mentioned this any of this before. Why now?" She couldn't keep the hurt from her voice, and she noticed when he picked up on it. He looked at her sympathetically, again willing her with his eyes to understand and listen. She could see the green of his eyes, the light from the weapons shelves gleaming off their dark hue. She saw sadness in them, but she sensed it was for her. She sensed his guilt and it made her heart wrench. She swallowed hard as he explained his hesitation in telling her of all this.

"When my wife departed from her body, I...attended to that issue. I left Kolyat in the care of his aunts and uncles. I have not seen him or talked to him since." Her mind reeled again. _She's dead? Maybe that's why...he's been alone the last ten years,_ she thought.

"That's...not the choice I expected. Why didn't you raise him yourself?"

"My body is blessed with the skills to take life. The hanar honed them in me. I have few others. I didn't want that life for Kolyat. I hoped he would find his own way. If he hated me, so be it. He would not have shared the path of sin." Thane turned to face her head on now, his face full of worry. "I used my contacts to trace Kolyat. He has become...disconnected. He does what his body wills." Anya cocked a brow in confusion.

"You'll have to explain that one to me, Thane."

"Disconnected. The body is not our true self. The soul is. Body and soul work as one in a Whole Person." Anya nodded a bit at that bit, recalling her conversations with Thane before where he said he was asleep while his body carried out his contracts. "When a the souls is weakened by despair or fear...when the body is ill or injured, the individual is disconnected. No longer Whole." Despite her own torn emotions, she couldn't bear to see Thane hurt, and thus Anya felt concern for his son too. It was clear that despite not seeing his son for 10 years, he still loved him and was every bit of the worried father.

"What's wrong with him? Is he hurt?"

"Something happened that should not have. He knows where I've been, what I've done. I don't know his reasons, but he has gone to the Citadel. He has taken a job as a hit man." Anya's eyes widened in surprise. _Shit...we were just there! If only we had known_ , she thought. Thane seemed to know her thoughts, and he nodded, an even deeper feeling of distress emanating from him through their connection. His brow furrowed as he continued.

"I would like your help to stop him, Shepard. He is...this is not a path he should walk." Anya blinked at him in surprise that Thane was asking for her help on such a deeply personal matter. Sure, she had helped the others with personal issues, but this was Thane. She still cared for him, despite her conflicted feelings at finding out about his family. The way she cared for Thane wasn't the same way she cared for the rest of her crew, her friends. Rather than agree right away, she decided to gather a bit more information, feeling it necessary if she was indeed going to help him.

"You don't send a raw rookie for a contract killing." Thane nodded in agreement.

"I'm afraid someone may have seen we share a name, and thus assumed we share similar skills. I don't know why he would accept the task." Another wave of distress flushed over Thane's strong features.

"Maybe he name dropped you to get hired." Anya shrugged absently, running over a list of reasons why to help Thane make sense of the situation. He shook his head slightly at the thought.

"It's possible, but I don't think so. It doesn't seem right. My name...he should not respect it." Anya cocked her brow. It was a curious thing to hear said, given all people are raised and told that a child should always respect their parents, honor their names or legacy.

"To be closer to you, maybe?"

"That thought haunts me more than any other."

"Any idea what made him go to the Citadel?"

"Years ago, I prepared a package for him. A relic of my ill-spent life. I had volus bankers store it and arrange for delivery when I died. He acquired it early. I don't really know how. I did wet work on the Citadel around the time his mother died. That might be why he went there." Anya thought for a second, sweeping her gaze over his worried features for a moment before speaking.

"Thane, I don't have your contacts, and I definitely don't have your tracking skills. Why do you need my help for this?" She asked softly, almost feeling ashamed as soon as the words left her lips. She wanted to help, but she was unsure that she was the right person for the job. She felt awful as she questioned his request for her assistance. A slightly exasperated look crossed Thane's face as he shook his head at her, eyes pleading once more after the exasperation faded away in mere seconds.

"I don't _need_ your help, Anya, I _want_ it." He paused for a short second, long enough for Anya to flush a deep red. She was surprised, embarrassed, and with that one simple phrase, her heart fluttered. She bit her lip softly as his gaze softened a bit and he looked at her with an expression that looked a lot like the way she felt about him. What was more, he again had called her by name, and it made her breath catch in her throat. He continued, his gravelly voice soft and low.

"The last time I saw my son... _They've wrapped her body in sea-vines. Weighted it with stones. He tries to pull from me. Calls for her. The hanar lift her off the platform. They sing like bells. 'The Fire has gone, to be kindled anew'. He begs them not to take her away. They let her body slide into the water. He hits me. 'Don't let them! Stop Them! Why weren't you-?' It rains. It always rains on Kahje. Warm water pours down his face."_

Thane slipped back to the present, hanging his head and sliding his eyes shut with a pained expression at the memory. A tear lingered at the corner of Anya's eye, feeling guilty as her prodding made him relive a painful memory. She averted her gaze, feeling ashamed of her own emotional issues at her reaction to the news of his family. Thane had been alone for ten years after the death of his wife, without even his son by his side. Her heart swelled with even deeper feelings for him as she realized she was being childish in being so upset. She wished he would have said something sooner, but she bit her lip while mentally chastising herself, knowing she had been about to walk away over something was still painful to remember despite the time that had passed. She wiped her eye a bit, speaking softly.

"I'm sorry, Thane. I didn't mean to make you relive that." He slowly opened his eyes, gaze remaining downcast for a moment before he raised his eyes to meet hers. His dark eyes were filled with sorrow, yet acceptance.

"Perfect memory. It is sometimes a burden." She reached a hand out and placed it gently on his arm, her expression one of reassurance. He covered her hand gently with his, his expression softening a bit further.

"We'll get back to the Citadel asap. We are still in orbit, so it will take just a short bit to get docked again."

"Thank you Anya. I'll be meditating until you need me." She nodded at him, offering a soft, sympathetic smile. She smiled the smallest bit wider when he returned her smile, albeit a strained smile that was still full of worry. With that she left his little room, calling out once his door slid shut behind her.

"Joker, slight change of plans. We need to go back to the Citadel, asap. Get us landed." She boarded the elevator once more, heading up a floor to the armory to gear up. As the doors slid shut, Joker's voice rung out over the intercom.

"Aye-aye, Commander."

( - - - )

Thane hid within the shadows, watching the turian named Joram Talid that he and Anya had learned was Kolyat's target. In his head, he once more recited a brief prayer to one of his gods. _Amonkira, Lord of Hunters. Grant that my hands be steady, my aim be true and my feet swift. And should the worst come to pass, grant me forgiveness._ He looked to Anya, who was on the catwalk above Talid and his krogan bodyguard, creeping silently and updating him on their movements. He allowed himself an ever so brief smile as he admired the way she looked like a predatory cat, stalking her prey. She may not be a master assassin, but nonetheless she was a more skilled tracker than she gave herself credit for. Placing his focus back on the task at hand, his sharp eyes flitting from shadow to shadow, person to person as he searched for his son among the crowds. He kept his voice low as he spoke into his comm.

"Where is he now?" Her response was just as low.

"He's meeting a couple of mercenaries. Looks like the same group his bodyguard comes from." Thane pursed his lips a bit, letting out a soft hmm.

"He looks nervous. Could be he's noticed you" Thane mused a bit, worried that if Anya was spotted, they might lose their chance at finding Kolyat.

"Maybe he saw Kolyat in here somewhere?" Her voice reasoned softly in his ear. He pursed his lips again, that being equally as negative.

"Also a possibility. There are obstructions ahead. I'll try to go around. Don't lose him, Shepard." He heard Anya's mumbled ok, and made his way around a group of people hovering around a small shop. As he popped his head around the corner to peek at Talid, he spotted who looked to be Kolyat leaned up against a wall, his head hung down as if in deep thought. As Talid passed by the drell, he lifted his head to glance briefly at the turian and then raise a hand to his face, as if contemplating his next move and readying himself. Thane watched as he furrowed his brow, and then stepped a way from the wall, a look of determination on his young features as he silently fell in step behind Talid and his body guard. A human crossed into Kolyat's direct line of sight, and with a rough push out of the way, Kolyat drew his pistol at the back of the two before him.

Above, he heard Anya yell out at Kolyat before he could take the shot, causing the krogan and Talid turned to face Thane's son in surprise. Thane's stomach clenched as he watched Kolyat turn in surprise as well and look at Anya, then just as quickly spin back around and fire at Talid. As his first shot missed, the krogan shoved Talid out of the way and drew his own pistol a moment too late, Kolyat's second shot hit him directly and killing him. By then Talid had made a desperate run for his apartment, Kolyat giving chase quickly behind him. Thane was already on the move the moment the krogan had fell, and he glanced up as Anya vaulted over a low obstacle and landed on her feet beside him, recovering quickly as they both gave chase after Kolyat.

"Thane!" She called out as she landed, Kolyat disappearing into the apartment just seconds before.

"I saw," He answered, his brow furrowed in distress. He hoped they would make it to Kolyat before his son could do something foolish.

"He's headed to Talid's apartment!" He nodded as they picked up the pace. Anya ran through the door, Thane opting for a brisk walk as the door slid shut. His chest was tight as he focused on breathing slow and deep. His illness was rearing its head as he struggled to get in a deep breath, his eyes focused on Kolyat, who had his pistol drawn at the back of Talid's head. Anya crept forward slowly, her aim trained on Kolyat as she cocked her pistol. Her expression was distressed, as it was apparent she was not comfortable with having her weapon drawn on his son. As he came to a stop a short distance away from his son, he looked at him with a furrowed brow, his eyes pleading.

"Kolyat..." His son looked to him with anger and disgust.

"This...This is a joke. Now!? Now you show up!?" Talid, his gaze fixed on the floor with his hands behind his head, called out in desperation, his voice thick with fear.

"Help me, drell. I'll do whatever you want!" At that moment, Captain Bailey and another officer stepped in, weapons drawn and fixed on Kolyat. Thane's gut wrenched more, his fear of his son getting shot and killed growing by the second.

"C-Sec. Put the gun down, son." Thane heard Bailey call out from behind him. Kolyat regarded them with a sneer.

"Get out of my way. I'm walking out, and hes coming with me." Thane stepped forward towards his son, his voice soft.

"They'll have snipers outside, Kolyat." From the corner of his eye, he could see Anya surveying the room with a watchful eye, her eye fixing on a lamp behind Kolyat as he practically spat his response back at him.

"I don't need yourhelp!" In a split second, Anya fired at the lamp, causing Kolyat to jump and avert his gaze behind him for just a moment. "What the hell?" Before anyone could react, in the confusing Anya stepped forward, drawing a closed fist back and connecting with Kolyat's jaw right as he turned his gaze back around. Thane's jaw went slack with surprise for a moment as Kolyat stumbled, dropping his gun. Talid was on his feet and backing away from the commotion within seconds, hastily retreating as Anya told him to get the hell out of the room. Kolyat looked at Anya with surprise, his hand on his jaw, then cast his gaze around the room, finally stopping to look Thane in the eye. Thane softened his gaze at his son, noticing everyone had lowered their weapons. Bailey spoke up before anything could be said, looking over at the officer that accompanied him.

"Take the boy into custody." The turian officer nodded to Bailey as he walked towards Kolyat to arrest him. Thane's brow furrowed sadly as Kolyat stared him down, pain in his voice as he yelled at him.

"You son of a bitch!" It was Anya who spoke before he could find the words to answer his son's anger. Her voice was every ounce as pleading as Thane felt as he stared into his son's dark eyes.

"Your father doesn't have much time left, Kolyat. He's trying to make up for his mistakes." Thane could hear the sadness in her voice as she explained to Kolyat. He returned his gaze to his son as he sneered at her.

"What...so you came to get my forgiveness? So you can die in peace or something?" Kolyat stared at Thane, his tone mocking. His furrowed his brows sadly as he stepped towards his son, shaking his head.

"I came to grant you peace." Thane lowered his gaze from his son's angry stare, sadness washing over him as he began to feel like a failure as a father. His voice was low and filled with grief as he resumed speaking, returning his gaze to face his son's. "You're angry because I wasn't there when your mother died."

"You weren't there when she was alive. Why should you be there when she died?" Kolyat spat at him, his demeanor defiant as he stared him down, arms crossed over his torso. Grief and regret slammed into Thane again as he once more dropped his gaze to the floor. He could sense Anya behind him, staring at him. He felt sympathy emanating from her as he spoke finally.

"Your mother...they killed her to get to me. It was my fault" The room was silent, and though he could not see it, he knew his son looked as shocked as he sounded as he unfolded his arms, standing straight. His voice was softer as he responded to Thane.

"What?" Kolyat sounded confused, hurt, and he took a small step towards Thane as he explained.

"After her body was given to the deep, I went to find them. The trigger men. The ringleaders. I hurt them, Kolyat. Eventually killed them. When I went back to see you, you were...older. I should have stayed with you." His son still spoke softly, grief coloring his tone.

"I guess its too bad for me you waited so long, huh?" Thane shook his head, raising his gaze to meet his son's, seeing the pain behind his eyes as he stared back at him.

"Kolyat, I've taken many bad things out of the world. You're the only good thing I ever added to it." At his words, Kolyat dropped his eyes as tears started to trickle down his cheeks. Thane's heart wrenched as he watched his as a myriad of expressions passed over his sons face. He stepped forward, placing his hand softly on his sons arm as Bailey stepped into sight at the corner of his view.

"This isn't a conversation you should have in front of strangers. Boys, take Kolyat and his father back to the precinct. Give them a room and as much time as they need." Thane heard the captains officers reply as he looked his son in the eye. From behind him, he heard Anya thanking Bailey for helping them a second time, then followed the officers with his son at his side back to the precinct. Once in an empty interrogation room, he sat across his son, waiting for him to speak. Kolyat was quiet on the ride there, and for a long time was quiet as they sat before he finally began to ask Thane a variety of questions. Where he had been, why he didn't stay, what he did to the people who killed his mother. Thane's gut wretched as he saw what his years of staying away from his son had done to the boy. He sat with his son for almost an hour, doing what he could to begin to mend his broken relationship with Kolyat. When his son expressed that he was finished talking for now, Thane nodded.

"I know you are angry with me, Kolyat. But I hope we can stay in touch, and in time, move past this." Kolyat didn't respond to him with words, but nodded, wiping his wet cheeks with the back of his hand. He stared at the table, silent and unmoving as Thane left. As the door slid shut, he took a deep breath, furrowing his brow and hanging his head for a moment. He had his son back, though it would be a while before he would be able to mend what had been broken between them. Raising his head, he looked over to see Anya pacing near Baileys desk, conversing softly. As he came to stand beside her, she looked at him with relief.

"How'd it go?" She asked him softly. Thane lowered his gaze for a moment, shaking his head sadly and then looking back at her with a small shrug

"Our problems, they aren't something I can fix with a few words. We'll keep talking, see what happens." Anya placed a hand on his arm for a moment, squeezing gently, her expression filled with sympathy. She smiled softly at him, and he smiled slightly in return. She dropped her hand and they both faced Bailey as he spoke up.

"Your boy shot some people. No one I feel sympathy for, but there it is." Thane folded his hands together behind his back as Anya stepped forward, leaning on the captains desk while pleading for his son.

"I watched those guys shaking down business and threatening humans."

"But he can't just get away with it" Bailey countered.

"The kid wants to make a difference. Give him community service," Anya offered back. Bailey looked at her with disbelief at the suggestion.

"Community service for attempted murder? What jury would agree to that?"

"None that I've seen. This would need to stay out of the judiciary. Strictly within C-Sec." Anya leaned away from the desk. Even though he was distraught at the knowledge that his son was likely going to jail for his crimes, his heart gave a little squeeze as he watched Anya fight for his son so passionately. He smiled inwardly, realizing how much he cared for Anya, and hoped perhaps she felt the same. He looked over as the captain stood from the desk, walking around it slowly and coming to stand at his side.

"Interesting. Ill think about it." Bailey reached forward, and Thane gripped his hand, shaking it firmly, nodding with a grateful smile. He was shocked a bit as Anya managed to keep his son from being incarcerated, and was ever grateful that the captain listened to her. As he thanked Bailey, he nodded over to Anya, who regarded him with a happy smile. Leaving c-sec, they made their way back to the ship, walking slowly. Thane stopped in the docking bay, leaning against a railing and sighing. Anya came to a stop beside him, a questioning look on her face.

"Shepard, thank you. I feared my son would be..."He trailed off, and she shook her head at him a bit, resting her hand over his. Her touch was cool and gentle, and it served to sooth the thoughts that raced through his mind. He worried for his son, and just hoped that he would be able to overcome what had transpired between them. Anya's voice was soft and calming.

"It's ok, Thane. I didn't want to see your son get hurt. I'm...sorry I hit him." He turned his head to meet her guilty eyes.

"No need to apologize, Shepard. What you did saved him. Id rather see him with a sore jaw and a bruised ego than the alternative." She nodded solemnly, as if to agree.

"Yea. I don't think I could have stood seeing you hurt if you had lost Kolyat. I'm glad I was able to help you save him today." She squeezed his hand softly. He placed his over hers, returning the gentle squeeze. "Will you be ok? Do you want to stay here for a bit with your son?" Thane shook his head at her.

"It would not be in by best interest to do so. Kolyat needs space and time to think. He assured me he would contact me when he was ready to talk some more. In the mean time, I am happy to know that your friend Bailey will look after him and keep him on a straight path." Anya nodded with a sympathetic smile. He gestured to the Normandy through the window before them that overlooked the dock the ship was in. "We should return to the ship. Is it my understanding that the illusive man found the IFF that we need?" Anya nodded again, her expression turning firm as she seemed to turn her thoughts to the mission.

"Yes, we were about to go get it before Kelly told me you needed to see me."

I see. Well, you have helped me. We should go retrieve that so we can end this, wouldn't you agree?"

"Damn right. Lets go kick some collector ass." Anya smiled back at him. Thane chuckled and stood straight, casting a look back in the direction of C-Sec for a moment as Anya called a for a sky car to take them to the Normandy. Back on the Normandy, Thane smirked to himself as he watched Anya walk in front of him, admiring the view of her curves even in full armor. Miranda, who had been making her way from the bridge to the armory in front of Anya, flashed a knowing grin and smirked over her shoulder at him as the armory doors slid shut behind them. It was his guess that the rest of the crew had already taken note of the way he and Anya interacted, and in a strange way it gave him comfort knowing he didn't have to pretend around the crew. He had begun to care a great deal for Anya, and not having to hide it was a relief. He chuckled inwardly, taking the elevator back down to the crew deck. In his mind, he knew that something more than friendship had developed between himself and Anya. It was no secret they were both attracted to one another physically, considering he had almost taken her twice and she had been a willing recipient.

Stepping off the elevator and into his room, he dropped his pistol off on the shelf. With a sigh, he sat in his usual seat, rubbing his temples gently. His thoughts drifted back and forth between Anya and his son Kolyat, and after a bit, he focused on just Anya. He smiled as he recalled her determination in speaking to the C-Sec captain on his behalf. With a plan to thank her properly later, he leaned forward over his table and folded his hands before him to meditate. Before he could slip into meditation, a startling realization popped into his head. Since the day they had met, Anya and him had shared a strange connection. When she was near, he could sense it. He always had a strong sensation that tickled in the back of his mind whenever she was around, and the closer she was, the stronger it was. He had no doubt she felt it too. He always noticed it wasn't painful, it didn't have any real physical sensation at all. It was more of just a mental feeling, a sixth sense, rather.

His jaw went slack for a moment as he realized what it meant, having been blinded to its obviousness by his lust and growing feelings for her. After Kolyat's mother, he didn't think he'd ever find such a feeling again, certainly not one stronger than what he had felt with his wife. It took Thane by surprise to realize that what he felt towards Anya was different. With a broad smile, he once more leaned over the table, letting himself drift into a calm meditation.


	9. Chapter 9 - Confession

Anya stood at the galaxy map, looking over the coordinates for the derelict reaper that had the IFF they needed. She shrugged her shoulders slightly, thankful to be back out of her armor. She scratched her head a bit as she recalled Miranda's random grin as she had followed behind to the armory after her and Thane had returned to the ship. She recalled turning to see what Miranda was smirking at, but had turned just as the doors slid shut, not seeing what Miranda had. Anya had inquired as to what Miranda was smirking at, but the female had simply smiled wider and shook her head, sauntering off to speak with Jacob while Anya shook her head and placed her armor back in its storage locker.

"Joker. Set a course for these coordinates. I'm forwarding them up to the bridge for you."

"Aye-aye, Commander." Joker replied over the comm.

"Thanks Joker. Edi, whats our arrival time?"

"Estimated arrival time is one hour, Shepard." Edi's disembodied voice rang out softly.

"Alright. Let Garrus and Grunt know to be ready. They are coming along for this one."

"As you wish, Shepard." Edi replied before the overhead comm chirped off. Anya sat for a moment, then decided to head down to the engineering to chat with Tali. As she stepped off the elevator and rounded the corner to engineering, she spotted Tali fidgeting with her suit and grumbling. When she spied Anya, she turned, seeming flustered.

"Oh, Shepard! What can I do for you?" Anya smiled at her. She could just barely make out a few features of her face behind the mask Tali wore, but Anya could see she had a soft smile on her face.

"Just came to check up on you, see if you had a bit of time to talk." Tali looked at her omni-tool, hitting a few buttons. "Sure! Let me just….oooh, come on you little...Bosh'tet!" Anya smirked a bit and raised a brow. "Oh, sorry. I have a small of a fever, and I'm taking it out on the poor drive core." Tali held up her hands for a moment as a worried look passed over Anya's face. "Don't worry. Its nothing serious. I just got sloppy while doing some suit repairs.

"You're sick? Do you need help, or time to rest?" Tali shook her head.

"Really, its not that bad. If a stray bit of bacteria could really kill us, we'd have all died by now. The fever should go away in a day or two. Don't worry, it wont affect my performance on the mission." A smile colored her voice. "Its not even an illness, really. What we experience is actually an acute allergic reaction." Anya cocked a brow in confusion.

"How does the sickness work exactly. You said its an allergic reaction?" Tali nodded, her hands gesturing a bit as she responded to the question.

"Right. Say I get exposed to a human disease, like...what did Navigator Presley have that one time? Chicken pox? I wouldn't get chicken pox, but I'd run a fever as my system reacted to the foreign presence. Depending on where it hits me, I could get other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, everything you'd expect from being sick."

"How did you get sick?"

"I took some fire back when you helped me on the Alarai, nothing serious. I needed to open my suit to check the wound. I disinfected properly, but one of the section seals had taken damage, and foreign matter had gotten out of the disinfected zone. It was a stupid mistake. You always check your seals before doing local treatment. Unless you forget, then you get a damn fever." Tali shrugged as Anya nodded.

"I see. Well I hope you feel better soon Tali. I don't know that I could live inside a suit my whole life. Just wearing my armor for a few hours is bad enough." Tali shuffled her feet a bit, adjusting her stance.

"We are in our suits even among family. The most intimate thing we can do with another quarian is link our suit environments. We get sick at first, and then we adapt. Its our most important gesture of trust, of acceptance. I haven't trusted anyone enough for that though. Except, well, no quarians. Um….you know what I mean." Anya smirked as Tali sounded a bit embarrassed.

"I appreciate the thought, Tali. And I feel the same way, but you don't have to prove anything to me." She offered a soft smile to her friend.

"I know. Never the less, I'd be honored to link suits with you, Shepard. You know….if you were a quarian and we weren't already on a suicide mission" Anya made out the faint hint of a blush on her quarian friends face, a wide smile breaking out over her own features.

"Thanks, Tali, that means a lot."

"Of course, Shepard. So what brings you down here? I'm sure you didn't come down just to listen to me complain about being sick." Tali beckoned for Anya to follow her to the room the drive core was in, leaning her hip against the railing. The gentle hum of the core was relaxing, and as Anya also leaned against the railing, she felt her eyes drift up to the only lit window overlooking the core, the life support room. A blush flushed her cheeks as she quickly looked back at Tali. A chuckle emanated from her friend and the faint outline of a smile quirked behind her mask.

"Don't suppose this has anything to do with a certain good looking green alien aboard the ship, does it, Shepard?" Tali chuckled again, teasing her a bit. Anya blushed deeper and shook her head at Tali with a smirk.

"That obvious, huh?" Tali shifted her weight a bit and nodded, a smile coloring her voice.

"Everyone knows, Shepard. We all see the way you look at him. We see the way he looks at you when you aren't paying attention." Anya wasn't sure she was capable of blushing any deeper, but as her skin heated to an all new level, she buried her face in her hands with an embarrassed giggle. "So...does he know how you feel about him? Its rather obvious its not just some simple crush, Shepard." Tali stared at her as she raised her face from her hands. She smirked briefly, happy to have some normal girl talk. She shrugged a bit.

"I suspect he does. Things got...heated...a few times. But...I don't know. I just can't explain it, you know? Its like I can sense when hes near, I can tell how hes feeling. It's so bizarre. I like it, I'm not complaining. It's just different. And well, its different than what I'm used to. When I was with Kaiden, it was nothing like this. With Thane, it's like, we are bonded somehow. Even now I can feel him. And the closer we are to one another, the more I can sense him. Its like a sixth sense, if you know what I mean," She rambled, pausing to inhale deeply, letting it out slow. "I sound like a raving lunatic, don't I?" She flushed again as she buried her face back in her hands. Tali chuckled and jarred her gently with an elbow.

"Hehe, no, Shepard. You don't sound like a madwoman. You sound like a woman falling in love." She giggled as Anya groaned into her hands with embarrassment. "Enjoy it. I'm sure he too feels the same. He just hasn't said anything yet. Give it time, Shepard."

"With this damn mission, I don't know if we have that time." Anya mused a bit. Tali shook her head, laying a hand softly on her shoulder.

"Then make time." Anya could see the faint outline of a smile through Tali's face mask, and she nodded, smiling gratefully. They wandered back towards Tali's workstation.

"You're welcome, Shepard. Well, I'm going to tinker some more. Talk to you later?" She turned back to her station after Anya smiled and nodded, looking over at Gabby and Ken chattering amongst themselves while waving hello to her. She shook her head and blushed in embarrassment as she left engineering, hearing Ken chuckle as she left.

"See, Gabby. I told you the Commander and Thane were doin' the dirrrty."

"Kenneth! That's none of your business!" She heard Gabby reply as the doors slid shut. She groaned, planting her face into her palm and shaking her head. Her skin was hot, and she could tell she was blushing hard again. _Oh..my...god. How embarrassing_ she thought as she stepped into the elevator. She checked her time, noticing she still had at least an hour or so before they made it to the reaper ship. She decided shed check on Thane again. Their mission to save his son from a life of crime had only been a couple hours ago, but she knew it had rattled him, and perhaps he could use someone to talk to. She hit the button and tapped her foot as she waited for the elevator to stop. As she disembarked the elevator and stepped into his room, as usual she found him at his desk.

"Hey, Thane. You feel up to chatting?" She smiled at him softly as she stepped beside him so he could see her.

"Very well, Shepard. I am...I had been recording a message for Kolyat." She nodded as she took a seat across from him.

"I know it hasn't been long since we left him on the Citadel, but how are things going with him?"

"It is difficult. All things worth keeping are." He smiled strangely at her, and she squirmed in her seat a bit, feeling suddenly shy. She was thankful when she didn't feel her skin heat up in a deep blush for once. His face shifted to an apologetic expression as he continued. "I never explained...I suppose the story of my wife's death took you by surprise." Anya shift uncomfortably now, biting the inside of her cheek and nodding softly. She knew this talk was coming, and she readied herself to listen to what he had to say, keeping her expression neutral.

"I figured you'd explain to me when you were ready." He smiled, nodding to her. He seemed to radiate relief.

"I appreciate your patience." He stood, coming to a stand behind his chair before pacing back and forth behind it. "I kept my work clear of our home life. I assumed that would be enough to protect Irikah. That memory I mentioned before... _Laser dot trembles on the target's skull. The smell of spice on the spring wind. Sunset eyes defiant in the scope._ That was Irikah. That was how I met her. She saw my targeting laser as she walked by and threw herself in the way." As she watched him sit again, Anya leaned forward on the table, curious.

"So how did his go from blocking your shot to having your children." He smiled fondly as he recalled the memory, and Anya bit the inside of her cheek again at a pang of jealousy. She quickly chastised herself for it, knowing there was no need to be jealous.

"I had to meet her. The memory possessed and endowed me. I fell on my knees before her. Begged her pardon. She introduced me to the world beyond my work. Eventually she forgave me. Later, she loved me." He explained. Anya thought over his words for a second, nodding slightly.

"I guess she impressed you."

"She woke me up. _Her body trembles. Not fear. Indignation. Her mouth moves. 'How dare you?'_ You and I trained to sacrifice ourselves to save others. How often does a civilian step in the way of a bullet to protect someone they've never met? I thought she was the goddess Arashu. She met my eyes through the scope, and my purpose faltered." Anya smiled softly now, understanding where Thane came from. She supposed if she had witnessed that, she would have been impressed also.

"When you talked to Kolyat, you said she died." Thane nodded, hanging his head for a moment before returning his sorrow filled eyes back to hers.

"I let myself become complacent. I thought Irikah and Kolyat were safe. I stayed away too long, and my enemies came for her."

"Who came for her?" She asked softly.

"Batarians. A slaver ring that was preying on hanar outer colonies. I'd killed their leaders. They paid the Shadow Broker to find out who I was. But they were afraid of me, so they went after her." Anger flashed over his features as he spoke.

"You told Kolyat you hunted her killers down."

"Irikah woke me up. When she passed, I returned to my battle sleep. My body hunted her killers. Murdered them. I was taught to grant death quickly, cleanly. To minimize suffering. Them...I let them linger." Anya was surprised at her own response as she first thought, then spoke the words. Thane seemed unphased by them.

"I don't blame you. They killed innocents to get to you." He nodded a bit.

"For you and me, death is business. For people like them, it is sport." He shook his head and sat back. A disgusted look on his face. He sighed, then looked past Anya, out the window into the drive core. "I haven't spoken of my wife in...I don't think I ever have. I didn't have anyone left to tell it to." He sighed again as he returned his gaze to Anya. She smiled softly, remembering Tali's words about 'making time'. She bit her lip a bit, then responded before she could chicken out of what she really wanted to say.

"Maybe I haven't been as up front as I should be. I'm here for you, Thane. Whatever you need." He smiled knowingly at her, his expression soft.

"You are very kind." He paused for a brief moment, appearing to be deep in thought before leaning against the table, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Thank you for listening, siha." Anya blinked, confused as she quirked a brow at Thane. She smiled, a bit embarrassed.

"I think my translator just glitched. What did you call me?"

" 'Siha'. Someday I'll tell you what it means." He smirked coyly, a playful, wicked glint in his eye. As she opened her mouth to respond, the overhead comm chirped, jokers voice interrupting their conversation."

"Hey, Commander. Just giving you a heads up that we have arrived." Anya drummed her finger tips on the table as the comm chirped again, shaking her head. She smiled at Thane as she did, a playful look in her eye.

"He sure has a bad habit of interrupting us, doesn't he." Thane chuckled, picking her hand up and placing the backs of her knuckles gently to his lips. She bit her lip with a blush, and he let out a low, barely audible, throaty groan.

"Go, Siha. We can talk more once you have returned. I hear Garrus and Grunt talking at the elevator, waiting for you." She quirked a brow at the strange word he called her again, suppressing the delicious shiver that was trying to work its way down her body. She needed to focus on the mission, not be distracted by Thanes devilish charms.

"I'll hold you to it, Thane." He nodded. As she left the room, she spotted Garrus and Grunt by the elevator, just as Thane said. As they looked at her, Garrus nudged Grunt and made kissing sounds, winking at Anya. Grunt chuckled and grinned. As the door to Thane's room slid shut behind her, she heard his amused chuckle drift over his shoulder. Anya planted her face in her hand again, embarrassed yet again by one of her friends. As she shook off the blush and stepped forward into the elevator along side Garrus and Grunt, she gave both of them a firm smack in the chest plates of their armor, enticing a cackle out of both of them.

"Weak, Shepard. Just weak." Grunt chided good naturedly, nudging her with his elbow. Anya smirked and cast them both a playful, sidelong glance.

"Not another word or I fire both of you out the air lock." She was granted with another round of laughter as they reached exited the elevator and got on the shuttle.

 _I'm never going to hear the end of this_ She mused with a grin.

( - - - )

Thane craned his head around to glance back at his door as he heard a shuffle of commotion outside near the elevator, seeming to head to the direction of the med bay. Suddenly worried, he jumped to his feet, exiting the arid room to the cool open air of the crew deck. He strode quickly to the med bay, his eyes searching for Anya as he stepped through the door. Dr Chakwas looked up at him with surprise.

"Ahh, Thane. You gave me a bit of a startle. Is everything alright? Do you feel well?" She looked at him with concern as she straightened her short, grayed tresses. Relieved to not see Anya not laid up in a bed, he nodded.

"My apologies Dr Chakwas. I am fine, thank you for your concern." He sought Anya out through their bond, sensing that she was on the ship somewhere. They'd been gone for a good few hours. He cocked his brow in curiosity, again wondering about the commotion he heard a bit ago. "I thought I heard some sort of commotion from some of the crew, heading your way, doctor. Is everything here alright?"

"Please, Thane, Karin is fine. You don't have to be so formal." She smiled at him kindly, then cast a glance at the AI core, just past the last of the med bays sick beds. "Yes, things here are fine. Commander Shepard ran across a Geth while they were out on mission. She ordered the crew to bring it back here and lock it up in Edi's AI core. Its disabled at the moment, but its still on lock down for security measures." _An active geth? What is Anya thinking? She must have good reason for bringing an active geth aboard, disabled or not,_ Thane mused.

"I see." He said simply. Karin then waved him over, patting a stool she slid out for him.

"Well, since you're here, let me check up on you." He shook his head at the kind doctor, holding his hands out in front of him.

"There is no need Dr Chakwas. I am fine." She shifted her weight to one foot as she leaned back on it, crossing her arms over her torso and giving him a stern, motherly look.

"Thane, sit down here and let me examine you. Let an old woman alleviate her worry for herself." She chastised. Caving in rather than argue with her, Thane took a seat on her stool and allowed the doctor to check his breathing and other vitals. She gave a satisfied 'hmph' as she set her stethoscope back down on her desk. "Very good. Your vitals are strong, and you don't seem to have much, if any, change in your lungs yet. That is very good. Just keep up with the regiment you were given." Karin patted him on the arm softly as he stood. He smiled gratefully and nodded. Just as he turned to leave, he took notice o f Anya getting closer. His eyes shifted to the door moments before she walked in. As her eyes locked on his, a worried expression crossed her face. He gave her a reassuring smile and nodded his head at her questioning expression. Her face instantly relaxed as she took a few steps toward him and the doctor.

"It's been locked up in the AI core as you instructed, Commander. The one who carried him in is still in there, standing guard." Karen spoke up, gesturing towards the core. Thane gave Anya a questioning stare.

"It spoke, Thane. Helped us out on the reaper ship. Its also wearing a piece of my armor. I want to turn it on. Ask it some questions." She offered. He went wide eyed and shook his head.

"Shepard, that is not a wise idea. It is a geth. Its too dangerous. You should shoot it out the airlock." She chuckled as she shook her head.

"Jacob said the same thing. He wants me to space it. Miranda just wants me to hand it over to Cerberus. I'm _going_ to interrogate it. If your worried, come with me. You can watch my back." He stared down at her as she smiled softly up at him, trying to alleviate his worry. After a moment, he nodded. Bidding her to wait one moment, he returned to his room, grabbing a pistol. He wasn't going in unarmed against a geth. When he returned to the med bay, he nodded to Anya and followed her in to the AI core. Outwardly he was calm, but inside, his gut wrenched as he watched her input the code to turn the geth back on, as well as enabling a containment field between her and the machine. He stood by the door, angled in just the right way that if he needed to fire, he would miss Anya and disable the geth with a single shot. As the machine flickered on and slowly stood, Thane tensed, ready to act.

"Can you understand me?" Anya asked the machine.

"Yes" Thanes jaw went slack for the briefest of moments as the geth actually responded to her in clear English.

"Are you going to attack me?"

"No."

"You said my name aboard the Reaper. Have we met?"

"We know of you." Another simple answer, its robotic voice speaking clearly.

"You mean I've fought a lot of geth" Anya chimed in. He could hear the irritation in her voice.

"We have never met."

"No, you and I haven't. But I've met other geth." She started to pace a bit in front of the barrier. The geth mimicked her every move, much to Thane's irritation.

"We are all geth, and we have not met you. You are Shepard. Commander. Alliance. Human. Fought Heretics. Killed by Collectors. Rediscovered on the Old Machine." Anya's current angle allowed Thane to catch when she arched a brow quizzically at the geth.

"You seem to know an awful lot about me," She sneered.

"Extranet data sources. Unsecured broadcasts. All organic data sent out is received. We watch you."It was Thane's turn to cock a brow questioningly.

"You watch me, or you watch organics?"

"Yes." Thane suppressed an annoyed sigh as the geth answered with another one worded response.

"Which?" Anya's tone seemed to mirror his irritation.

"Both." Anya stared at the geth for a moment before responding, her words cold.

"I fight geth. You do anything hostile, I blow you to pieces. Just so we are clear." The geth seemed to stare at her for a brief moment before its lighted 'eye' passed over both Thane and the guards still standing in the room with them, then return to focus on Anya.

"We have no hostility towards you."

"Sure didn't seem that way on Eden Prime and the Citadel."

"You fought heretics. Not true geth. Geth build our own future. The heretics asked the Old Machines to give them the future. They are no longer part of us. We were studying the Old Machine's hardware to protect our future." Anya seemed surprised, as was Thane.

"What future are the geth building?"

"Ours."

"Will anyone else be affected by whatever it is that you are doing?"

"If they involve themselves, they will be," the geth answered simply.

"Are the reapers a threat to you too?" Anya asked curiously. Thane found he was rather curious himself as the machine responded.

"Yes."

"Why would they attack other machines?"

"We are different from them. Outside their plans."

"So you aren't allied with the reapers?" Anya took a step forward, the geth mimicking her motion again. Thane flexed his fingers on his gun.

"We oppose the heretics. We oppose the Old Machines. Shepard Commander opposes the Old Machines. Shepard Commander opposes the heretics. Cooperation furthers mutual goals." The mechanical pieces of metal surrounding the geth's optical device shifted and stirred as it spoke.

"Are you asking to join us?" Anya tone with the machine was one of minor disbelief and shock.

"Yes." Thane tensed once more as Anya lifted her arm, activating her omni-tool and disabling the containment barrier. He cleared his throat, and Anya turned her head to look back at him. She shook her head. Her expression registered to him as asking for him to trust her. He wasn't happy with the idea, but he, leaned back against the wall, holstering his pistol. He stood with his arms crossed for a few more minutes as Anya resumed her inquiries of the machine before her.

"So what should I call you?" She asked as the field fell. When the geth made no movement other than its mechanical bits normal shifting, Thane relaxed a bit. He felt confident in Anya's ability to take care of herself, but he still worried over her. He smiled inwardly at her brazen fearlessness.

"Geth" He heard the machine respond, returning his watchful eye to it.

"I mean you. Specifically." It mimicked Anya's every move again.

"We are all geth." Anya sighed, and he watched as she shifted her weight back on one foot and crossing her arms in annoyance.

"What is the individual in front of me called?"

"There is no individual. We are geth. There are currently 1,183 programs active within this platform" Thane and Anya noticed as Edi's chess piece shaped apparition flickered into sight next to the geth unit and Anya.

"My name is Legion, for we are many," she quoted.

"That seems appropriate." Anya said thoughtfully.

" Christian bible, the Gospel of Mark. Chapter five, verse nine. We acknowledge this as an appropriate metaphor. We are Legion, a terminal of the geth. We will integrate into Normandy." Thane watched as Anya extended a hand, Legion doing the same, and them both shaking hands awkwardly. Satisfied that she was in no immediate danger as she continued to speak with the geth about some virus, Thane left the AI core and returned to his room, nodding to Anya as she glanced over her shoulder at him briefly. Back in his room, he unholstered his pistol and returned it to is spot on the shelf, then took a seat at his table and sipped his cooling tea.

He sat in meditation for a long while before he heard his door chime and felt Anya nearby. He smiled as she came to stand next to his table as she always did, waiting for his approval to join him. Her demeanor was totally different now than when he had left her in the AI core. She seemed to radiate sensuality, the look in her eye sultry and focused on just him.

"Thanks for watching out for me, Thane. Sorry it took so long. You have some free time to talk?" He nodded and watched as she took a seat.

"Of course, Shepard. Join me." She settled into her seat and looked at him, a shy smile creeping onto her face as she blushed softly. She bit her lip, and Thane exhaled slowly.

"I've been thinking about you."She confessed, her blush deepening. Her blue eyes seemed to dance in the pale light of the room, and Thane smiled as he stared into them.

"And I you" He also stated. She rewarded him with a brilliant smile. "Will you hear my confession, Siha?" She smirked a bit.

"Last time we talked like this, you said you'd explain what 'Siha' means" Thane chuckled.

"I need to explain myself to you first. When I married Irikah, the hanar let me leave their service to raise a family. But I had no other skills, so I freelanced. When Irikah was killed, I pursued those responsible. Once I'd eliminated them, I had no goal. I accepted the Dantius commission because I didn't know what else to do.

" I guess its a good thing we came along when we did then." Anya offered in response. He nodded a bit in response to her.

"It was an intervention by the gods. I would have died in that penthouse. I would have fulfilled my contract. If Nassanna's guards caught me afterwards…it would have been a good death. But someone else was pushing to reach the target. Forcing me to move faster. Challenging me. I had to reach her first." A look of sadness washed over Anya's face, and he resisted the urge to cradle her cheek in his hand, to wipe away her sadness and replace it with a one of the smiles he found so beautiful.

"I had no idea you'd planned to die in there." Her voice was soft, her brow furrowed in concern as she waited for him to answer.

"It wasn't a plan. My body had accepted its death. My mind had been dead a long time." He leaned forward, offering her a soft smile. "But then I met another Siha. Few are privileged to meet even one." She shook her head with an amused smirk.

"You still haven't told me what a Siha is," she reminded him, playfully chastising him. He gave her a knowing grin as he leaned back in his chair.

"One of the warrior angels of the goddess Arashu. Fierce in wrath. A tenacious protector." Anya blushed one of the deepest shades he'd ever witnessed, and his grin widened for a moment before his expression turned serious yet hopeful "I confess, I've...come to care for you, Anya. Perhaps I'm being foolish. We are both very different." He held his breath as he finally admitted his feelings for her, eyes searching her face as look that mirrored his feelings settled on her delicate features.

"I don't that we've known each other long enough to call it love, but feel something for you too, Thane. Something more than friendship." She smiled at him with fond admiration, sliding her hands across the table at the same time he did to rest her hands in his palms. He ran a thumb over the soft skin, relishing in her touch.

"I've never felt affection for another species. I'm...not sure what to do now." Anya chuckled at him softly.

"We'll just have to figure it out." He nodded, losing himself in the ocean that lay in her eyes.

" I look forward to the memories." He smiled, thinking for a short bit as he studied her face. "Siha, I feel I must speak about something else with you. Will you hear another confession?"

"Of course, Thane." She trailed her fingers back and forth across his palms slowly. He gave a small, appreciative 'mmm' in response to her gentle touch. He exhaled softly, thinking about the best way to phrase what he was about to say next.

"I can feel you, whenever you are nearby. I can sense you before I see you." He paused as recognition passed over her face. _So she does feel it too,_ he thought. As he went to speak again, she too spoke at the same time.

"Like a sixth sense" The chimed in together. Anya blinked in surprise.

"That was weird," she giggled. He chuckled and nodded.

"So you feel it too. The truth is, Siha, only couples who are bonded feel such a connection. I believe we are bonded." He watched as her brow arched in curiosity.

"Bonded?" She asked simply.

"Indeed. Humans sometimes believe in what is called a Soul Mate, yes? For drell, that is what we call bonded. I...I have felt this way ever since we met, Siha." He held his breath again as he watched Anya lower her gaze, staring at the table in deep thought. This was the startling realization he had, and he only could hope that his confession so soon would not deter her feelings for him. When she lifted her eyes to stare into his, all he could sense was affection and acceptance.

"Bonded huh? Well, I guess we will see. I don't believe I've seen any bonding between us yet." She smiled at him, a sensual look passing over her expression as she winked. As realization of what her statement actually meant hit him, he was on his feet within moments, drawing her up with him. He greedily stole a kiss from her, stifling a surprised squeal of delight from her. His hands roamed her sides as she draped her arms over his shoulders. Lifting her gently, he carried her to his bed and laid her down. He knelt over her body, one knee between her thighs as she reached up to caress both sides of his face. Her fingers sought out the sensitive red frills, and his eyes slid shut with a pleased groan. Leaning down to claim another kiss from her mouth, he murmured softly against her lips.

"Mmmm. How I have missed your touch, your lips, your kiss. I wonder, Siha, will we be interrupted again?" She groaned against his lips and pouted, making a disgruntled noise that he soon quieted by spilling kisses just below her ear. He smiled when she purred in delight and a quiver worked its way down her body. He ground his thigh softly between her legs at her sensitive core, coaxing a soft moan from Anya's full lips.

"Unfortunately, yes. Legion asked for assistance at a geth hub. He says we can destroy the geth who are loyal to the reapers. We should be there soon." She gasped as he rubbed his thigh against her again, and he grinned. Nipping at her neck softly, he did it again, coaxing yet another moan from her sweet lips. He had a lingering thought as he spilled kisses across her jaw as she seemed to start acting intoxicated, as she always did whenever he seemed to kiss her. He wondered if perhaps one or both of them should speak to the doctor or Mordin for advice about their unusual pairing. Their last encounter seemed to be the most intense in terms of her body's reaction to him. He remembered a sensation of overly heightened euphoria emanating from her after she had drug her tongue over his skin. The memory of that particular touch caused his member to stiffen in rapid response.

Sensing his arousal, she shifted her body to arch her hips into his, grinding softly against his groin. He almost lost himself in the sensation as he groaned with pleasure, her fingers enhancing his arousal as they trailed over his fringes and frills. In his musings, he caught on too late as she repeated that same action of dragging her tongue over the now hyper sensitive skin at the base of his throat, tracing a series of frills in a slow, tantalizing manor. He shuddered and pulled his head back from her as she gasped, squirming with what seemed to be pleasure. A haze covered Anya's eyes and she smiled seductively, crooking her finger before her face with a 'come hither' look at him. It reminded him of people who were on hallucinogens, and he wondered if he had a drug like effect on her. The thought slipped his mind as she leaned up, trailing her tongue over his lower lip slowly before sucking his lip into her mouth and sucking on it softly. Thane shuddered, pressing himself fully into her body and grinding his hips against hers.

He pushed his tongue past her teeth, tasting and exploring the contours of Anya's mouth as she whimpered with desire into his kiss. He groaned in response as she matched his grinding rhythmically. He longed to take her then and there, wishing to fully claim her as his own. But through the lusty haze he knew they had not the time for it. Forcing himself to pull away from her lips, he smiled down at her. She gazed up at him, a lust drunk expression on her face as she returned his smile with a brilliant one of her own. Kissing her forehead softly, he slid beside her, drawing her head onto his chest and cradling her softly. Ignoring his pulsating arousal, he pressed a finger to her lips at her discontented groans.

"You will be needed soon, Siha. I want to as much as you, but we haven't the time. In due time, I promise." When she nodded and smiled, accepting his words as truth, he too smiled, focusing on an earlier thought before she distracted him so deftly. "Perhaps it would be wise for one of us to speak with the doctor or the professor. They may have advice about cross species relations that we would need to know." Anya sounded like she was still in a haze as she responded with a slight slur to her words, her hand tracing small circles around the open area of clothing on his chest.

"You're probably right. I always feel so buzzed when I'm with you. Such wonderful sights. But I don't want to go now. Can I just lay here, with you? Just for a little while?" She purred up at him. He smiled, placing another gentle kiss upon her forehead as her eyes slid shut.

"Of course, Siha. You can lay here as long as you like." He smiled again as she wiggled close, shifting her head to rest on his arm. Soon she drifted asleep, her breath coming in soft puffs against his neck. Feeling himself drifting into what would soon be the best sleep he had in what seemed years, he brushed her soft, black hair from her brow, taking one last look at her peaceful face before sleep claimed him. Vivid dreams filled his head as he slept, fully at peace.


	10. Chapter 10 - Install at 80 Percent

(A/N: I am soooo sorry about the long wait. Im right in the middle of a huge shift at work, so things have been thrown off in the mean time. Thanks for bein patient with me!)

Anya stepped out of the armory, rubbing her neck and grumbling in discomfort. Their last mission to help Legion left her trying to escape yet another explosion. Her, Tali and Legion had just barely made it back before the base erupted in a blast that shook the Normandy as she flew away. Her stomach was in knots as she thought over her decision, blindly stopping by her terminal to check messages. Originally, Legion had stated destruction was the only option for dealing with the heretic geth that followed the reapers. During the course of the mission, he had come to the consensus that there was a second option, to rewrite them. Legion had proven that they could work with the geth, that there could be peace. Tali surprised Anya with being somewhat against their destruction. With a heavy heart, Anya had chosen to destroy the heretics, rather than rewrite. Her mind was on what might happen long term had they been rewritten, on the war that the Quarians wanted to start with them to retake their homeworld.

She shook her head and sighed as she pushed the thoughts from her mind. As she focused her attentions on her messages, Edi's voice piped up overhead softly.

"The IFF is nearly ready, Shepard. However it needs to be tested. I recommend you take a shuttle to your next destination."

"Roger that, Edi. Thank you." Anya rubbed her brow a bit, then noticed a message from Admiral Hackett that was marked urgent and required her response on a private channel. She also took note of a message from Cerberus pertaining to the location of the shadow broker. Anya made a mental note to check in with Liara after the collectors were taken care of to inform her of the news. She smiled a bit, knowing Liara would be excited to finally hear news on the shadow brokers location.

After checking with Kelly for anything else that required her attention, she made her way to the comm room. Sealing the doors, she initiated the call to the admiral. His voice rang out over the comm unit sounding tired and stressed. _Just like I feel,_ she mused silently as he began speaking. It turned out he needed her help for a solo mission to rescue one of his friends, a scientist who claims they found a reaper relic. She was currently being held prisoner inside a Batarian prison, awaiting execution for trying to blow up a mass relay in their home system. She assured him that she would head that way as soon as she was able.

As the call clicked off, she dropped her head backwards and sighed loudly. She was tired and wanted to just relax for a day. More so, she wanted to see Thane, and so far it was mission after mission keeping her from just breathing for a day. She could sense him faintly down below on the next deck. Recalling his words as she drunkenly drifted off to sleep before the mission, she supposed since she was nearby she would go have a word with Mordin. She stared at the door to the lab and inhaled deeply, readying herself for the incoming conversation which she had no doubt would embarrass her to the very center of her core. Unsealing the doors, she took a step into the lab. As usual, she found the scientist hard at work at his terminal and didn't look up from his work as he spoke up.

"Hello, Shepard. How can I help you?" He smiled without raising his gaze, his fingers flying furiously over his keyboard. She inhaled and let it out slowly and suppressed a blush.

"Hey, Mordin. Have you got a few minutes to talk?" At that, Mordin raised his gaze to hers, nodding and stepping around the table until he stood before her.

"Actually, wanted to talk. Medical matters." He inhaled a bit, letting it out sharply before continuing. "Aware that mission is dangerous. Different species react differently to stress. Sexual activity normal as a stress release. Still recommend caution with Thane. Drell/human liaisons complex. Thane complex as well." Anya felt herself blush from head to toe. Of course Mordin already knew about her and Thane. It was likely the entire ship did. She sighed, and tried to regain her composure.

"Thane is important to me. I don't want to hurt him, but I'm not just going to walk away." Mordin smiled softly and nodded.

"Of course. Hormones. Regardless, come to me when rash develops." _Rash? What rash?_ Anya thought, arching a brow quizzically. She hadn't developed any kind of rash before from touching Thane. _Maybe I am just…oh._ She realized he probably meant due to actual intercourse. She felt herself flushing even darker red as a series of lewd images flooded her thoughts. She cleared her throat and did her best to maintain a professional air about her.

"Do you have a recommendation as a doctor?'

"Prolonged human to drell skin contact can cause small rash, itching. Oral contact may cause mild hallucinations." _Well that explains why I feel so buzzed when I kiss him, or when I..._ her mind flickered to when she licked the soft red frills that adorned his cheeks and throat, making her swallow hard. A spiral of desire spiraled down her belly into her core as she nodded to the doctor, putting on a straight face as he punched a few keys on his omni-tool and continued through her inner musings.

"Also forwarding advice booklet to your quarters. Valuable diagrams, positions comfortable for both species, erogenous zone overviews. Can supply oils or ointments to reduce discomfort. Gave Edi electronic relationship demonstration vids to use as necessary." Mordin smiled at her kindly, and Anya cocked a brow. _Vids?_ She pondered if Thane had been sent the same thing, assuming perhaps in her absence he had also spoken to Thane. She smirked, trying to lessen the amount of embarrassment that course through her being.

"Wait a minute, Mordin. You're just yanking me around, aren't you?" She smiled as Mordin faked shock, expressing mock insult and shifting his weight back on one foot.

"Shocking suggestion! Doctor-patient confidentiality a sacred trust. Would never dream...of mockery." He smiled wildly at her as he straightened once more. "Enjoy yourself while possible, Shepard. Will be here, studying cell reproduction. Much simpler. Less alcohol and mood music required." He nodded his head as he stepped back around his desk and resumed working at his terminal.

"Heh. Thanks, Mordin. Any chance you've also sent this stuff to Thane as well?"

"Yes. Spoke with me earlier while you were on mission. Thane much more nervous than you." He smirked as he nodded to Anya's inquiry, his eyes sliding shut momentarily with an amused expression. She chuckled softly, a slight blush flushing her cheeks again as he slid his eyelids back down and met her gaze for moment. Nodding to him, she left the lab and returned to the CIC. She leaned against the wall next to the elevator, pondering Mordin's advice silently as she cast her gaze over the crew before her. She could just barely make out Joker bickering with Edi and she smirked, shaking her head. Her eyes were drawn to the elevator doors as they dinged and slid open. Kasumi stepped out and nodded on her way to the armory. She flashed a devious smile at Anya right before cloaking and entering the armory, no doubt to watch Jacob, who was probably nearing the end of his work out session. Anya chuckled and shook her head.

She recalled her emails and wondered if they had any last minute things to take care of before they went after the collector base, remembering that Edi had informed her the IFF was nearly ready. She rubbed the back of her neck, assuming that once they left on the shuttle, it'd be the last bit of free time before the final showdown with the collectors went down. She wanted a bit more alone time with Thane before then. Everything seemed to be coming to a head too fast. She inhaled deeply, breathing out slowly as she made up her mind, spinning on her heel and stepping into the elevator and pressing the button to go down a level.

( - - - )

Thane smiled as he felt Anya at his door as if on command. He had just been thinking of her as he sensed her presence. He inhaled the usual coconut scent that emanated from her as she stepped next to him.

"Hey, Thane. You free for a bit?" She ask sweetly. He nodded as he looked over his shoulder at the beautiful woman he had come to care so much for, offering her a smile.

"Of course. You needn't ask. Time is short for me, Siha, but any I have is yours to take." He smiled more as she flashed a radiant smile at him, stepping around the table and sliding into her seat. She slid her hands across the table towards him, a slight sigh of what sounded like content escaping her lips as he slid his hands under hers. He rubbed his thumbs over the backs of her hands, and she traced small circles with her pinkie in his palm.

"How are you feeling?" She asked softly.

"No worse than ever, Siha. You needn't worry about me. And you? Are you well?"

"No need to worry about me. How are you holding up?" She assured him with a smile. He nodded with a pleased smile.

"I'm looking forward to the end of the end of the mission. It has been many years since I felt I could relax anywhere." Anya nodded to him, an amused smile twitching at the corners of her lips.

"I spent two years dead. Every moment seems irreplaceable now." Thane nodded in understanding, caressing her skin softly. He smiled as she matched the action, enjoying every second of her warm touch on his flesh.

"I spent ten years 'dead'. I understand the feeling. Strange that I should only reawaken now, when there is so little time left." His expression turned sad for a moment, causing Anya to lift a hand from his, cradling it against the side of his face tenderly. She shook her head.

"We have plenty of time, plenty of memories to make." She smiled reassuringly. He felt his expression soften as he placed a hand against hers, sliding his eyes shut and smiling as he nodded. Releasing her hand, he set his back on the table, and she once again placed hers within his.

"We deserve a vacation when this is over. The ship should have some kind of brochures in the archives that we could look through." She offered, tilting her head that adorable way he admired. He thought for a moment, then smiled at the idea, excitement bubbling into his chest at the prospect.

"I would very much like to see a desert!" Anya smiled and chuckled.

"A desert, huh? Perhaps we can visit Earth then. We have a few deserts there to choose from." She nodded a bit, her expression shifting a bit as she appeared to think over which one they should see. He nodded, lifting one of her hands to his lips. He pressed a gentle kiss against the back of her hand, relishing in the smile she offered in return. When she stood suddenly, he cocked a brow, watching as she walked around the table, a sultry sway in her hips as she took her time. He spun his chair to face her, moving to stand as she placed a firm yet gentle hand against his chest to keep him in his seat.

As she straddled his lap, his thoughts flashed to a vid that the professor had supplied him with. He had spoken with Mordin while Anya had been away on the mission with Legion, learning that oral contact with him essentially made Anya high, as if she was on drugs. The thought of being her personal drug amused him as she settled down, wiggling her bottom against his lap. The action spurred the memory of the video once more, where a female had straddled a male, both nude, and they had engaged in intercourse in that position. The thought made his member stir with desire as she leaned in to kiss him. He gripped her sides, returning her kiss hungrily. After a moment, she broke the kiss, inhaling deeply and smiling as she looked down at him. She cradled his face in her hands, teasing at his fringes with her fingertips as she wiggled again.

"You seem lost in thought, Thane. Care to share with the class?" He took in the glint in her eye as she smiled devilishly at him. As she gyrated softly in his lap against his hardening member, he groaned a bit, nodding.

"Ah...yes. I was thinking about a vid that the good Dr. Solas provided." Thane smirked as an expression of embarrassment colored her face for a split second.

"I see you spoke with him as well." She placed gentle kisses against the crown of his head, sending soothing sensations throughout his body.

"Indeed. His advice answers a fair set of questions. I am pleased you seemed to have spoken with him as well." She nodded a bit as he tilted his head back to gaze up into her eyes. He smiled as he searched their blue depths, feeling the way she felt about him emanating from every section of her being.

"Yes. Before I came down here to see you. You had suggested I should, so I took your advice. I...I think everyone on the ship knows about you and I, Thane." She blushed a bit, watching the path her fingers took as the traced the soft underside of one of his fringes. He shuddered beneath her, gripping her hips firmly and bucking his hips a bit. She gasped in delight and grinned.

"Yes, I suspected as much. I have received a few looks around the ship. And Garrus has already seen fit to tell me to take good care of you." That sparked a surprised look on her face as she looked him in the eye, halting her wandering fingertips and cocking a brow up at the door in the general direction of the Battery.

"Really now? When was this?" She inquired.

"The day of our lunch date on the Citadel." She bit her lip at his matter-of-fact answer and his already swollen member twitched. He reached between them to adjust himself more comfortably as he watched her expression change a few times, no doubt recalling their encounter. With a gentle hand against the back of her head, Thane pulled her close to kiss her deeply. He drank in the taste of her kiss as she sighed into his lips with a smile, tracing his fingertips up her triceps when she draped her arms around his neck.

"Thane..." She murmured softly before sucking his lower lip into her mouth with a soft pop. He mumbled a pleased groan against her lips as her tongue darted out to slowly trace the edge of his lip. After a moment of teasing, she pulled her face away and reached a hand up to trace on of her delicate digits across the split that ran down from the bottom of his nose to his chin, then over the ones that extended past the edges of his mouth. He sighed blissfully and closed his eyes as Anya leaned in to place feather light kisses over his brow and eye lids, tracing a trail back down to his mouth in a soft, sensual manner. Every touch ignited his senses and desire for her as he tried to recall how long it had been since his body had been touched in such a way.

Cradling his hands against her soft cheeks, he gently pushed her back, staring into her eyes again. Anya mirrored his fond gaze as she stared back into his. He brushed a small stray strand of her hair back into the rest as she bit her lip again.

"That is going to be the death of me, Siha." Thane stated softly. She cocked a brow in confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asked. He traced a thumb over her lip softly, his other hand moving down to rest on her hip.

"This. The way you bite it. It is….most enticing." She grinned sheepishly as a knowing look crossed her expression.

"Oh, heh. I didn't realize. Perhaps I shouldn't do it anymore..." She trailed off, a devious glint flashing in her eye before biting her lip deliberately.

"Gods, you are an evil woman, Siha." Thane pulled her close and claimed her mouth, pulling a giggle followed by a squeal of delight out of her as he slid his tongue into her willing mouth to dance against hers. He continued to kiss her relentlessly until she blocked his lips with her hand, pulling away, breathless and grinning. He smirked as she shook her head at him.

"I need to breathe, Thane. Silly drell." She chuckled, teasing him playfully. He knew they likely had little time before they would be required to leave the ship for a short bit, but he was determined and wasn't going to settle for less than at least her getting some sort of release from the seemingly endless teasing. He slid his hands behind her, gripping her bottom firmly. Arching his hips up, he used his hands to grind her down on his throbbing member. She rewarded him with a surprised, yet pleased soft murmur of pleasure.

"But I want you breathless, Siha. Breathless and gasping my name." As a look of surprise at his blatant statement crossed her face, he claimed her mouth again before she could speak, gripping her bottom and standing. He tightened his grip against her bottom as she wrapped her long legs around his waist in response, holding on to him tightly. He relinquished his claim on her mouth long enough to look around his room, pondering what he wanted to do before laying her down on his bed and placing himself between her legs. In a swift, single motion, he deftly removed the shirt she wore, watching as she blushed softly under his intense gaze and biting her lip. He eyed her soft breasts, hidden behind black lace decorated with tendrils of green along the outer edges of the fabric. He smirked, taking note of the fact that it matched the same hue of green of his flesh.

"Thane, I...are you sure? We could get interup-" He silenced her words with a gentle finger placed against her soft lips. He leaned on one elbow as he slid his finger from her lips down the center of her body slowly. She slid her eyes shut, her breath coming in soft, short pants as he trailed his fingers to either breast as he reached her sternum, taking his time to slip his fingers under the delicate material to rub and gently pinch and twist her hardened nipples for a little bit before moving to the other breast. He smiled as he coaxed soft moans from Anya's lips, watching her muscles ripple ever so slightly as she arched into his touch. After a bit, he resumed his slow travel down her center, silencing a disappointed grumble with a deep, sensual kiss. He pulled away for a moment as he watched that familiar haze drift over her expression, knowing his kiss was making her high. Anya squirmed beneath his fingers as he leaned in again, kissing her once more while his fingers traced slow, lazy circles at the waistband of her pants.

One of her hands gripped at his shoulder softly, while her other moved towards his wrist. With a chuckle, he grabbed her wrist gently, dragging it above her head and capturing it within his other hand. She struggled playfully, then let her arm go lax as she giggled into his never ending kisses. He then moved his hand back to her waistband, undoing the button with a small flick of his wrist. He felt her hesitate for a second, causing him to pull his head back from hers. She bit her lip as she looked up at him. His hand hovered at her waist as he searched her face, concern washing over his expression.

"Are you ok, Siha?" She nodded.

"Yes. Just...nervous. We've never actually..." Her words trailed off as a blush slid across her skin.

"I will stop if you wish me to, Anya." Thane said softly, his voice thick with his desire. She thought for a moment, then nodded, her expression looking ashamed. With a nod, he smiled, resting his hand on her warm belly and placing a delicate kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you. Please understand that I want to. Heaven knows I want to. But I just don't want…you know…to be all rushed." Thane smiled again, a deeper feeling of adoration flooding his heart at her words.

"I understand, Siha. We will wait until you are ready." Anya smiled and pulled gently at his head until he leaned down, accepting a deep, sensual kiss from her. After a moment he pulled back, smirking down at her.

"If you keep that up, however, I do not know that I can wait," he said jokingly. A playful glint danced in his dark eyes, and she rewarded him with a giggle. Thane shifted his weight to his other elbow, using his free hand to trace the contours of her face softly as she stared up at him with a soft, loving expression on her face. Her expression didn't falter as the overhead comm chirped, followed by Edi's disembodied voice.

"The IFF is ready for testing, Commander Shepard." It was a moment before Anya responded. She sighed a bit, and Thane observed as she maneuvered her torso upwards to rest on her elbows, placing a soft kiss upon his lips before speaking.

"I suppose we should get that out of the way then. Edi, instruct the team to gather at the shuttle. We will be taking it as suggested while we let you and Joker run the necessary tests."

"As you wish, Shepard."As the comm chirped and turned back off, Thane brushed her black tresses from her brow while she tilted her lips up to meet his once more.

"Back to work" Anya grumbled against his lips.

"Indeed. But it will be over soon." She nodded as he pushed himself off the bed, offering a hand to her. He pulled her up as she grasped it, then pulled her into his embrace, stealing another deep, sensual kiss once she was fully on her feet. She purred into his kiss, tracing his fringes with her fingers. Pulling away, she grinned at him deviously while he shook his head, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement. While she pulled on her shirt and fixed her pants, he reached onto one of his shelves for his equipment. As she spoke, he turned back around to face her.

"I'll meet you down at the shuttle, Thane. I need to grab my gear as well." He nodded, stepping forward and tilting her chin up with his fingertips to kiss her gently.

"Indeed. See you down there shortly." She left before him, leaving him to finish grabbing his gear. With a smile, he took a deep breath of her lingering sent, then stepped from his room, meeting Garrus, Samara and Kasumi on their way to the elevator. Kasumi gave him a gentle nudge with her arm, offering a knowing grin as they rode the elevator down. Thane chuckled lightly, shaking his head at Kasumi's wordless teasing as she grinned broadly.

( - - - )

Anya's entire body hummed as she sat next to Thane on the shuttle ride. Her nerves were still fired up from their brief rendezvous in Thane's room. Her body ached for release at this point, and she was sure his did as well. She mentally crossed her fingers, hoping soon they could get the time together they so desperately wanted and needed. She glanced his way, finding Thane already watching her discreetly. She smiled crookedly at him and then turned her gaze out the window, watching as the flash of neon lights grew brighter the closer the got to their docking port.

They had been close to Illium, so they opted to pass the time there while Joker ran the Normandy through her necessary tests. Her entire team barely fit on the shuttle, especially with Grunt's large Krogan frame taking up a considerable amount of space. As they landed, they all but fell out of the shuttle. Kasumi pretended to be dramatic and gasp for air as she jumped out of the shuttle. A slew of obscenities colored Jack's speech as she bickered back and forth with Miranda, who fired her own plethora of insulting retorts back at Jack as they stepped out. Garrus and Tali followed them out, looking at one another after glancing at Miranda and Jack and then shaking their heads.

"Enough you two. I'll make you both stay on the shuttle alone together if you don't zip it!" Anya retorted to the bickering couple. Miranda offered a disgruntled 'hmph' her way as she sauntered off on her own, coupled by a 'screw you' from Jack as she too wandered off. Anya sighed, cradling her face in the palm of her hand and shaking her head at the two as everyone else wandered their separate ways. She felt Thane come to rest at her side and she looked up at him, smiling a bit.

"I will be surprised if we make it through this mission without those two killing each other first. Ridiculous." Thane shook his head at her and chuckled while she shook her own head, hitting a button on her comm device. "Everyone stay in radio contact. We leave the second Joker says the IFF is ready." Her ear pieced chirped with responses from each of the crew. As it went silent again, she leaned her head against Thane's arm, who gently passed a thumb down her cheek and under her chin. His dark eyes glimmered softly in the bright lights as he pressed a kiss to her forehead, then motioned forward as a suggestion to start walking.

"So, what shall we do, Siha? Edi said it would be a bit before the IFF was fully ready," he said quietly. Anya thought for a few seconds as they walked, then smiled broadly.

"We could cash in on our outstanding rain-check." When Thane looked at her with a puzzle expression on her face, her grin widened. "Our lunch date. We took a rain check on that, remember." Realization registered on his handsome features and he smiled, nodding as they turned foot to head towards the small bar in the area, hoping they also served food as well. As they passed by Liara's office, she wondered if she should stop by and deliver the information she received about Liara's target, the shadow broker. Deciding to wait until after lunch, she and Thane continued on, climbing the stairs until the stepped into the small bar. The bartender Aethyta cast her a welcoming smile, which she returned with a small wave.

Finding a small seat in a quiet corner, they were happy to find that food was served there. They both ordered something quick, waiting but a couple minutes for it to be delivered to their table. Anya smiled at Thane in between bites.

"So have you heard from Kolyat?" She inquired, taking another small bite of food. Thane chewed his for a moment, thoughtful, then nodded.

"Indeed. He seems to be doing well. Your friend Captain Bailey seems to be keeping him quite busy. I am happy to see him on a better path." He pushed a bit of food around his plate for a moment before turning his gaze to meet her own.

"I'm glad to hear that. I know it may not seem like it now, but I think in time, you two will be ok." Thanes face was somber.

"Time is not something I have much of unfortunately, Siha. I hope this is all is not too late." He sighed a bit, resting his fork on his plate gently. Anya reached over, placing a hand on his forearm.

"Don't talk like that. It's not too late. And we will figure something out. We will find you a cure. I promise." He shook his head, preparing to argue, but she interrupted him with a gentle finger to his warm, soft lips. "I promise." With a nod, Thane grasped her hand gently, pressing a kiss to the backs of her fingers softly. He didn't look convinced, but didn't argue the subject as he picked up his fork and resumed eating. The ate in silence for a short bit, admiring the view out a small window. After finishing their meal, then wandered back through the market district, checking out the various kiosks around. Anya found a new upgrade for her armor, and Thane was delighted to find a new upgrade for one of his weapons. As the reached a low wall over looking a large portion of Illium, Thane chuckled a bit, drawing Anya's view to him.

"Something amusing, Thane?" She tilted her head quizzically. He shook his head a bit as he responded.

""I spent two years here for the Dantius mission. My time was used watching my targets, studying their habits. In all that time, I never once looked at the Horizon. It is indeed quite...spectacular."

"It is quite beautiful," She agreed quietly, taking in the sight. She smiled softly, then looked surprised as she felt his arms wrap around her waist, twisting her gently to face him. His expression was soft, loving as he stared down at her. In the light, she could see the brilliant dark green of his eyes, and she felt herself melt in them. She always liked seeing him best in the light, so she could see every vibrant green of his skin and eyes.

"Not as beautiful as you, my Siha." Thane winked playfully, and Anya blushed. His statement was corny, but undeniably sweet as she tilted her lips up to meet his in a soft kiss.

"Ever the charming, handsome devil, Krios" She countered playfully, coaxing a rare full grin from his full lips. He kissed her again before releasing her once more. She smiled and sighed, resting her head against his arm. Casting her gaze around the area, she saw Liara's office and remembered she had planned to stop by give Liara the information she needed.

"Let's go talk to Liara, Thane. While we are here, I have some infor-" Just as she turned in the direction of Liara's office, beckoning for Thane to follow, her comm chirped in her ear, followed by a distorted voice that sounded like Edi. Anya's brows furrowed as she tried to make out what was being said, looking at Thane with concern. His own brows furrowed with concern as he nodded quizzically at her comm piece. She shook her head, pressing the button to communicate back.

"Edi? Edi is that you?"

"-ander Shepard, the Normandy has been -tacked. The crew is -ne" Her brows shot up more as she tried once more to contact the ship.

"Joker? Edi? Come in. What the hell is going on?" She demanded, more than concerned at this point. Her comm unit crackled a bit, and Edi's voice finally came through clearly.

"Commander Shepard. I apologize. You are required back on the Normandy. We have been attacked. We have regained control of the ship and are currently safe. The crew has been taken, however. Only Jeff and I remain." Anya's eyes widened in shock, her gaze shifting to Thane, who looked at her with worry in his eyes.

"Alright, be ready for our arrival! We are leaving shortly." Her comm clicked off as Edi acknowledged her command. She looked to Thane, reaching back up to get the rest of the team on the comm. "Everyone, double time back to the shuttle! There's no time to explain, just get your asses here!" Her comm chirped with the responses of the team as she spun on her heel and took off in a sprint towards their shuttle. Thane easily caught up and kept up with her stride.

"Shepard, what is going on?" His own expression mirrored hers, full of concern. She looked at him, her brows knitted close together.

"I'll explain on the shuttle!" He nodded to her briskly. She turned her head forward, racing towards where the shuttle was docked. Behind her she could hear the pounding footsteps of the rest of her crew catching up quickly. One by one they climbed into the shuttle, each clamoring to know what the rush was about. Her next statement left every one of them with a slack jaw and wide eyes.

"The Normandy has been attacked."


	11. Chapter 11 - Eye of the Storm

[A/N I am so sorry it took me so long to get an update posted! Forgives me! So here, have a nice extra long, extra juicy chapter! Hope you enjoy!]

Anya leaned against the display station in the comm room, watching her distraught helmsman leave the room to go take his place back on the bridge. His shoulders were hunched in shame despite the fact she stood up for him against Miranda's barrage of angry retorts at his action of unshackling Edi. Anya felt it was the right decision, and despite Edi was an AI, Anya trusted her. The entire crew, save for Joker, had been kidnapped by the collectors while Anya and the team were away on Illium waiting for the final touches on the IFF to be put into place. She now had the choice of going straight after the collectors or rescuing the crew. In her heart she knew she needed to save the people who were taken. They weren't just the crew. They were also her friends. Her mind flashed an image of Dr. Chakwas, of Kelly, and she grit her teeth. With a sigh, she glanced around the now empty comm room. She was slightly surprised to see that Thane hadn't waited for her to finish talking to Joker. Rubbing the back of her neck, she supposed he was off making preparations for the upcoming battle. Everyone knew they likely weren't coming back, but they also had no intention of going down without a heavy fight.

She exited the comm room, one by one making her rounds to all her crew to check up on them one more time before they headed to the Omega 4 Relay. Thane was her first stop, but as she stepped into the room, his posture was stiff, his demeanor seemingly distracted. She stepped to his side, offering a soft smile at him, and simply pressed a gentle kiss to the top of his head, reveling once more ever so briefly in how soft his scaled skin actually was. He offered a strained smile and nodded to her, then resumed what seemed to be some deep meditations. Anya left his room and made her way through each deck talking with everyone else. Out of habit she stopped by engineering to check on Gabby and Ken, and a twinge wrenched her heart as their usual cheerful, albeit slightly perverse, banter didn't fill the room.

After an hour or so of wandering the ship and conversing semi casually one last time with her team, she found herself back in the CIC, checking on Joker and Edi. She was surprised to hear them actually getting along now, and found it even more amusing that Edi was referring to Joker as Jeff, and he referring to Edi as 'her' rather than 'it'. She smiled as even in the darkness of what had happened, something good came of it. She made one last stop at her terminal, checking for messages. The same messages as before remained with nothing new in her inbox, so she stepped to the galaxy map to plot out their course to the Omega 4 relay. As she punched in the coordinates, Edi's voice rang out softly overhead.

"Please confirm destination, Shepard. The Reaper IFF is online, but there is a chance that the Normandy may not survive the Omega 4 relay. Once we are en route. We are committed." Anya thought for a few seconds on her response, her hands resting on the guard rail before her. She shook her head a bit as she found her words.

"The collectors took my people. It's time to go get them back." Her voice had a dangerous edge as she imagined what she was going to do to the collectors for not only kidnapping her crew, but for their attacks on humanity as a whole.

"You got it, Commander. Plotting a course for the Omega 4 relay. ETA about 2 hours. I'll let you know when we arrive," Joker's voice echoed softly over the silent deck. As Anya turned away from the galaxy map, the elevator chimed its arrival with Miranda as its sole passenger. She came to a stop before Anya, placing a hand on a curvy hip and looking up at Anya.

"Joker is finalizing preparations now. The trip should take a few hours. I'll admit it, Shepard. I'm impressed. You got us here. Are you ready?" Anya nodded, feeling confident.

"We've got the right team and the Collectors' own technology. We can do this." Miranda nodded in return.

"I hope you're right, Commander. We'll know soon enough. I'll inform you of any changes. Otherwise, we'll be there in a few hours. Good luck, Shepard. See you on the other side." Miranda smiled at her softly and stood at attention, saluting Anya. Anya nodded and smiled a bit in response. Miranda turned on her heel, heading towards the armory. As the armory doors slid shut, Anya made her way to the elevator, pressing the button to return to her cabin. She had preferred to spend her last few hours with Thane, but it seemed Thane wanted to be left alone. Instead, Anya sat at her desk, pouring herself a drink and reading through a stack of reports that she had been neglecting.

She listened to the bubbling sounds of her fish tank as she finished reading one report, grumbling when she noticed only a half an hour had transpired. _It's going to be a long trip,_ She thought while casting a sidelong glance at the tall stack of reports. Just as soon as she had the thought, she got a message from Miranda stating that the preparations were going to take longer than anticipated, putting their ETA around 4 hours, rather than 2. She sighed while acknowledging the message, shaking her head and picking up the next report. About half way through it, her door chimed and slid open. Anya looked up in surprise as Thane strode into her cabin, his brows furrowed tightly.

"Thane..." She said softly, her voice mirroring her surprised look. He raised his gaze to hers, torment clear in his dark eyes.

"Siha, I..." He paused, his eyes searching her face as he fought for the right words to say. Anya's brows knit together with concern. Thane turned away and began to pace her cabin. "I have known I would die for many years I've tried to leave the galaxy better than I found it. You helped me achieve more than I thought possible. We've righted many wrongs...I've spoken to my son." He paused for a brief second, his head low and gaze pointed at the ground before turning to face her once more. "I should be at peace on the eve of battle." Anya rose to her feet, crossing the short distance to stand before him. A lump formed in her throat as she examined the tormented expression on her lovers face.

"Stop. Don't give me a speech." She placed her hands softly on his arms reassuringly. Thane didn't meet her gaze as he his voice cracked slightly.

"I'm...ashamed." He slowly lifted his gaze to meet hers, her own full of concern for him. She lifted a hand to gently cradle his cheek to comfort him. He shied away from her touch, gently pushing her hand away. A pained look crossed her features at the action and he turned away, offering her his back as he walked to her desk, leaning on the surface with his fists. She couldn't see his face, but she could feel the turmoil that ebbed off him in waves. She was startled slightly as he raised one fist and crashed it back down into her desk in frustration, turning his head to gaze over his shoulder at her. Her heart clenched as she saw tears streaming down his face.

"I've worked so hard. Meditated and prayed and done good deeds. Atoned for the evils I've done. Prepared." Her expression was a mixture of sadness and sympathy as she stared back at Thane, wishing for a way to comfort him in his time of need. He turned his gaze away and continued softly. "I consider my body's death, and a chill settles in my gut. I am afraid, and it shames me." Anya frowned sadly and bit her lip, stepping behind him. She slid a hand gently over his closed fist, her gaze intent on his face.

"Thane..." He turned to face her, eyes down cast for a moment as she rested a hand on his arm again and once more cradled her hand to his wet cheek. It then registered in her head what she needed to say to help him, and she smiled at him lovingly, her eyes full of love and acceptance of him even at his weakest."Be alive with me tonight." Her expression and words registered visibly in his eyes as Anya leaned forward to kiss him tenderly, yet passionately. As she pulled away, she gently wiped his tears away with a soft smile. Thane lifted a hand to hers, placing her hand back on his cheek and sliding his eyes shut. She left her hand rested on his cheek, her thumb stroking the soft scales gently until he opened his eyes once more and released her hand, moving his hand to the back of her head to pull her face back towards his.

A muffled sound of surprise escaped her throat as his lips crashed against hers, demanding, frenzied almost. She opened her mouth to his as his tongue pressed against her teeth, then sighed into his kiss as his exotic breath filled her nose. His tongue danced against hers as she felt herself being gently herded backwards towards her bed. Knowing what was coming next, she gently slipped a finger between her lips and his, gently shushing Thane as he started to protest.

"Edi, put my cabin in privacy lock down. No one gets in unless I say, and no calls on the comm either. I do not want disturbed until we reach our destination."

"As you wish, Shepard." Edi's voice faded out as quickly as it popped into the room. She watched as Thane cast a look over the door as it made a light click, a light above the door switching to blue as the privacy mode was engaged. As he turned his gaze back to hers, she noted the slight smirk on his lips. She smiled, glad that he was smiling as well, even if it was only a small one.

"Thank you, Siha." Anya cocked her head at his random thanks. As her eyebrow arched up in curiosity, he smiled, seeming to understand her unasked question and taking his turn to cradle her cheek softly in his warm hand. "For accepting me at my weakest." Anya smiled warmly at Thane, turning her head slightly to kiss his palm.

"You are not weak, Thane. What you feel is natural. But in any regard, I'll always accept you, in your strengths, and when you are feeling weak. You will never be weak to me." She blushed softly as her words registered in his eyes. He drew her in again for another kiss, soft and sensual this time. After a bit, she found herself being gently guided to her bed again. Thane's hands were trailing over the curves of her hips softly, exploring slowly. As her calves bumped into the edge of her bed, Anya felt Thane slip his thumbs under the bottom of her shirt and caress the soft skin just above her waist band. Pulling his lips from hers, he regarded her with a questioning gaze as he slid her shirt up a minute fraction. Anya nodded without hesitation and in a quick, fluid motion the fabric was pulled over her head and discarded beside them.

Anya sighed and shivered in delight as Thane took his time spilling kisses over her exposed throat and collar bones. His hands wandered across her arms, over her shoulders and trickled softly down her spine, coaxing several delighted chills from her body. When his hands made his way back to the front of her body and settled on the button of her pants, she leaned her hips forward slightly into his hands. A low, throaty grumble of approval rumbled against her breast where his mouth lingered, spilling more soft sensual kisses over the fullest part of the soft mound. She felt the slight flick of his wrist, followed by her pants sagging softly on her hips as he undid them. Anya pressed her middle and index finger gently under Thane's chin, coaxing his head up so she could press her lips to his in a sensual, deep kiss. She draped her arms over his shoulders as she felt him slip his hands between the fabric of her pants and her backside, giggling into his lips as he gripped her bottom firmly with both hands.

As his hands roamed the curves of her butt, Anya slipped her arms from his shoulders to hook her thumbs in her waistband and give a gentle push downwards. Realizing what she was doing, Thane pulled away a bit, assisting with pushing her pants downwards, and then holding her outstretched hands as she stepped out of the bunched fabric at her feet and then kicked it aside. She was now in nothing more than her underwear and a bra before Thane and she felt her entire body blush as he regarded every inch of her body slowly, no doubt committing it to his perfect memory. Anya crossed her arms over her chest shyly and clenched her thighs a bit, biting her lip as she watched a certain predatory, sexual hunger light up in Thanes dark eyes as he swallowed hard. She was aware as his gaze passed over each of her breasts, over her legs, over every scar. An amused smirk flickered across his pale lips as he gently pulled at her wrists to set her arms back at her sides.

"Why do you hide yourself, Siha? You are breathtaking." Thane's voice was thick with desire, and it made Anya squirm where she stood.

"It's been a while since I've been so….exposed, Thane. I just...well...you're not disgusted by my scars or anything?" Anya bit her lip again, a full blush ravishing her skin again as Thane passed another lustful look over her from head to toe. She watched his hand as it snaked out to trace a thin scar about 4 inches long on her hip, drawing feather soft, tantalizing swirls over the sensitive skin. She was surprised when the action caused a wave of pleasure to travel down her abdomen and swirl in her core. She swooned slightly as he leaned closer, the sultry vibrations of his voice a whisper in her ear.

"These scars?" He ask simply. Thane then put his hands on her shoulders and pushed back softly. Taking his hint, she sat down on the bed. When she started to scoot back, Thane shook his head, kneeling before her and gently pressing his body between her thighs. Anya's breath caught in her throat for a moment as he bent over her, then gasped softly as she felt his warm lips press to the same scar he had been tracing. She shivered as he first kissed, then traced it with the tip of his warm tongue. When he found another scar a little higher up on her abdomen, he did the same to it, followed by another few scars that dotted their way across her lower abdomen and hips. Each touch of his tongue left another wave of pleasure spiraling and pulsating at her core, and she found herself moaning softly and squirming beneath his gentle touch. Thane smiled at her softly as he straightened up and helped pull her into a sitting position. Anya hooked her heels at the back of his thighs, leaning in to kiss him deeply before smiling and shaking her head playfully.

"I guess that answers that question." Thane made a low noise that was half laugh, half grunt as he nodded in amusement. He then traced her thigh softly, making a lazy trail up to her sides, then over the side of her ribs, and under the bust line of her bra. Anya slid her eyes shut half way as she enjoyed the sensations his fingertips sent through her skin. When she felt him slide his hand behind her back and give a small flick, she met his gaze, taking note that her bra now hung on her shoulders, undone. Offering Thane a sultry look, she hooked her fingers in the straps, pulling the lacy away and casting it aside. Thane's low rumble of approval and the hard swallow that followed as he cast his gaze over her bare breasts was enough to embolden her further, hooking her fingers in the waistband of her matching lacy panties. She smiled as she heard Thane's breath catch in his throat in anticipation. With a wiggle and a soft push, she started to push the soft fabric down, biting her lip with Thane reached forward to gingerly help her slide them down past her knees and over her feet.

She cocked a brow slightly as he grasped both of her hands and stood, pulling her gently to her feet as well and walking her a slight bit away from the bed. Thane held one of her hands loosely and beckoned for her to spin around slowly, to which she smirked and obliged him with a sultry, slow turn in place, waving her hips back and forth as she moved. As she made it back around to face him, he met her eyes with a smokey, hungry look that sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine. She bit her lip and cast her gaze over him, noting that he was still fully clothed. Her eyes landed at his groin, where he was quite visibly straining against the tight fabric. He chuckled softly, drawing her eyes back to his as he closed the gap between them. Before she could move to remove any clothing from him or speak, his mouth was on hers, stealing her words away with a kiss. She moaned softly into his mouth as his hand found one of her breasts and moved to gently twist and caress a hardened nipple. Her thighs clenched with need as he moved his kisses across her jaw to her ear, biting at the soft tissue gently.

Anya then felt Thane's free hand come to rest on her lower belly and start to drift lower. Her breath caught when he finally brushed over her soft, moist center. Parting her thighs a bit, she murmured softly in approval as he just barely stroked her softly. When he slipped his fused middle digits between her warm folds, she gasped softly. Thane dipped his head a bit, using his other hand to press upwards on one of her breasts, popping her nipple into his mouth with a soft suck. Groaning with pleasure, Anya arched her body towards him, aching for him to cure the months of unsatisfied desires from their previous encounters that had always ended before they could satisfy their lust for one another. She bit her lip as Thane started to rub his fingers at the now hypersensitive bud that lay hidden within the her core, coaxing soft moans and pants from her throat. As she moaned his name, Thane's own thick groan of desire flitted up between their bodies from where he continued to tease both breasts alternatively with his teeth, tongue and lips.

As Thane's ministrations grew more firm and quicker, Anya found herself gasping for breath, her voice cracking as she got a little louder with each passing minute. Her body clenched as Thane coaxed her to an intense orgasm that stretched on for what seemed to stretch on longer than she had ever experienced before. She clutched at his back tightly as her knees wobbled, smiling when he pulled his face up to look her in the eye and kiss her briefly. Thinking he was about to stop and undress, she started to step back, only to have Thane pull her back with a firm hand on her lower back, his other hand still firmly in place and resuming the firm stroking of her inner folds. She moaned as he spread her legs further with one of his feet, slowly stroking every inch of her center, coating her skin with her juices. Clutching him tight, she leaned in and bit his lip softly, smiling when Thane rewarded her with a groan of approval. She kissed him lightly and then pulled her head back a bit, her words coming in soft pants.

"Thane...please. Stop teasing me." She smirked and winked. She was relieved, however, when Thane nodded.

"As you wish, Siha" She bit her lip as he released her, then stood and looked at her, unmoving as he regarded her naked form once again. With a smile, she took the initiative, stepping forward and placing a gentle kiss on his lips as she slid her hands beneath his jacket, feeling the bare skin of his shoulders. She stepped around him, pulling the jacket off slowly as she did and admiring the forms of his muscles beneath the form fitting clothing he wore beneath the jacket. It seemed to be one piece, and as she stepped back around to his front, she watched as he pulled down a semi hidden zipper then opened his clothes from just below his chest where the material ended to just above his pubic bone. As he pushed the fabric away from his arms, her eyes followed his hands as he hooked his thumbs at his waist, pushing the his clothes to the floor and then stepping out of the bundle of cloth.

Thane wore nothing below his attire, so as he straighten his body once more, Anya took in every inch of the visual feast before her. Thane was every bit of chiseled muscle on his upper body that she remembered from their meet in the showers from what seemed like a life time ago. Her eyes traveled across the dark green stripes that adorned his head, to his shoulders, and down across his back. Her eyes raked over a pair of stripes that adorned his usual shade of green over his hips, the lines tracing the path over the V shape of his lower abdomen and ending just below the hip line. She swallowed loudly as her eyes settled finally at his groin, where his erection was now free of its tight restraints.

Anya bit her lip as she cast an approving glance up at Thane, who was watching her regard his naked form with an amused, yet curious expression. She took a step forward, reaching her hand out to lightly trail a finger from the base of his shaft to the tip, smiling seductively as she pulled a shudder of delight from his body. She stroked him softly, admiring the how his handsome green hue shifted and blended into a shade of blue green at his pelvis and finally a pale blue on the pulsating shaft she now held in her hand. She found it interesting that he was very similar in shape to human males, with the exception that he was a little more pointed at the tip, rather than round like a human. It still was soft like a human males however, much to her relief. She smiled, releasing his pulsating shaft and pressing her body to his, molding her lips to his in a hungry kiss.

( - - - )

Thane groaned as Anya released his shaft, instantly desiring her soft, yet firm touch once more. As she backed away after kissing him with a clear hunger that mirrored his own, he watched with a smirk as she crooked her finger at him, dancing away back towards the bed with a seductive sway of her hips. He was more than happy to follow slowly, watching her still beckon as she reached the bed and crawled backwards over it, coming to rest with her back propped up against her pillows. He stopped at the edge of her bed for a moment, admiring every alluring detail of her body. She had been worried about her scars and how Thane thought of her now that he seen her at her most exposed and vulnerable, but he couldn't find any fault with her form. Now she was writhing seductively on the bed, waiting for him. He smirked, watching as she transformed from a battle hardened soldier into a soft, seductive, sexual siren awaiting more of his touch.

Drawing himself out of his inner musings, he crawled onto the bed, making his way across to press his body between her thighs. He trailed his middle fingers down her center, his eyes a little ahead of his finger and taking note that there was no hair anywhere on her lower body save for a small, neatly trimmed narrow strip that ran down her core and ended just before her warm, wet folds. He traced a slow trail down one curve of her hip, across her belly, and back up the other as he thought briefly to the videos and pamphlets he had received from Mordin. As he stared down at the sultry smile Anya offered up at him, Thane froze for a moment, unsure of what he should do next. He had spent a fair amount of time researching human anatomy and anything pertaining to human intercourse, but faced with the beautiful woman before him, it all seemed to falter. As if sensing his hesitation, Anya then propped herself up on one elbow and reached between their bodies to trace a lazy line down his abdomen with her free hand.

Thane slid his eyes shut to her touch, and in a very human-esque moment, mimicked Anya's habit by biting his lip. He heard a surprised, yet pleased 'Ooh!' at the action and popped his eyes open to meet her gaze just as her hand found his shaft once more. It 'jumped' at her touch, and Thane groaned with pleasure as she began to tease and stroke him gently, making him forget his earlier hesitation. He leaned his head down to meet her upturned lips, a predatory growl rumbling low in his throat as she practically purred against his demanding lips. She gave a firm squeeze and a slow stroke along his shaft in response to his growl, coaxing instead another pleasured groan from his lips. Thane smiled, reaching between them to tug gently at her arm as he leaned his body into hers. Seeming to understand his intention, she released him and leaned back against her pillows, biting her own lip. Thane focused on the action, his swollen member twitching as he angled himself a bit better then leaned down, kissing Anya softly. When the tip of his shaft pressed gently against her warm folds, he heard her inhale slowly, feeling her body tremble ever so softly below his in what seemed like anticipation.

He focused his eyes on her as his breath caught in his throat, her oceanic eyes full of trust and desire as he slowly pushed beyond her warm folds and into the hot, velveteen channel of her inner core about half way. He waited as her soft gasp wafted up to meet his ears, her eyes sliding half way shut with a smile. Remembering a video he watched, Thane smirked deviously as he pulled back till just the tip of his shaft was left inside of her, then pushed back in just a small portion, repeating the two for a short bit. Anya pursed her lips in a pout as she murmured softly and squirmed, arching her hips into his so as to take more of him in. He chuckled, leaning down to kiss her, groaning as she popped his lip into her mouth and sucked softly. While she was distracted with his lip and kiss, he gave a firm push of his hips, fully seating his shaft deep inside her. They both gasped lightly, and he felt her squirm a bit as she adjusted to his girth and length.

As he began to rock his hips into hers softy, Anya rewarded him with soft, sensual moans, hooking her heels behind his thighs and resting her hands on his shoulders. His own groan was low and thick as he took her in slow, long and steady strokes. Anya's slick core was tight around his shaft, and he groaned again as she deliberately flexed her inner muscles tighter around him. Licking his lips, he bucked his hips a little more firmly against her, smacking against her flesh as he seated himself fully within her. He smirked when she offered him a surprised expression coupled by a gasping moan, taking the opportunity to increase his speed and continue to push himself completely inside of her. Her moans were thick in his ears as she readjusted her lower body, tucking her hips up, making each deep thrust even deeper. Thane moaned in ecstasy, willing himself to take his time as he sat up on his knees, bracing his hands on the backs of her thighs.

She smiled as she drew them towards her, using his weight to help hold her thighs closer to her body. Thane looked between them, mesmerized as he watched his shaft pulsed in and out of her soft, pink core, his flesh slick with her juices. He took the time to admire how her body opened up to his, eying the little bud that was nestled in her folds that he had used to coax an orgasm out of her earlier. He cocked a brow, releasing one of her thighs to rub a thumb across the sensitive bundle mid stroke. When Anya responded by bucking her hips up towards his with a delighted moan, he smiled and began slow to draw slow circles. Her voice slowly rose in volume as he rocked into her with increasing speed, both their breaths coming in heavy pants.

He watched as Anya writhed beneath him, groaned as she began to beg and plead for him to continue and not stop. Her words fueled him like gas on a fire, and shifted one of her legs to his side, propping the other upon his shoulder as he had seen in a video he had watched, and then plunged his thick length deeply into her core, his hips contacting her bottom with a loud smack as he began to ravish her roughly with increasing speed. He kept one hand on her ankle that was on his shoulder while the other went back to resume rubbing the slick, sensitive button between her thighs once more. He felt Anya's body shudder beneath him and her insides clench and flutter around his shaft with what he assumed was her orgasm as it claimed her body, a flood of her juices soaking his shaft and spilling out from between them onto the sheets. He groaned loudly as she cried out his name, her hands gripping the sheets at her sides tightly.

He allowed himself to slow, yet still taking long, deep powerful strokes into her sensitive core. Thane slid his hand from between their bodies to grip at a bouncing breast, rubbing his thumb over her nipple and grinning as she bucked beneath him. Her wild moans coupled with his own as he felt his already stiff member grow stiffer yet within her. Thane took in every erotic detail of her body as he drove himself into her, picking up speed once more as she slide her hands up his arms and gripped his shoulders. He was nearing his peak as he felt Anya's body shudder beneath him as another orgasm claimed her body. Her hands had gripped tightly on his shoulders, breath hitching in her throat along with a strangled moan of pure ecstasy.

The intensity of Anya's climax ripped through his body, tipping him over the edge into his own. As he came, he collapsed over Anya, pushing her leg from his shoulder so he could lean in to claim a deep kiss, continuing to thrust his hips into hers roughly through the duration of his own orgasm. Anya arched her body into his and draped her arms over his shoulders to cling her hands tightly to his back, her voice stolen by his kisses as he drove her into yet another orgasm.

As their climaxes finally subsided, he looked into her eyes with a concerned expression, hoping he didn't hurt her during the last moments of their coupling. Anya smiled up at him, a blissful, dreamy look glazing over her face. They were both breathing heavily still, but as he brushed her silken hair away backwards, their breathing slowly returned to normal.

"I didn't hurt you, did I, Siha?" He asked softly, still slightly concerned. He relaxed a bit when she shifted her hands from his back to the sides of his face, resting them softly while shaking her head.

"Not at all. That was...amazing, Thane." She smiled up at him radiantly, her entire body seeming to hum with contented energy. The corners of his mouth twitched a bit as she praised him.

"Amazing? I see, so you're not dissatisfied?" He looked at her, eyes hopeful. When she shook her head, still smiling brightly.

"Uh uh. You are a quick study." Anya winked at him playfully, her words coaxing the twitch at the corner of his mouth into a full smile. He rocked his hips lightly, aware that he was no longer erect, but still sensitive. It appeared she was as well as she bit her lip against a soft groan. She smiled, shaking her head. She pouted slightly then as he pulled himself out of her, sliding his body to lay along side of hers. He propped himself up on one elbow, his free hand tracing lazy trails erratically across her belly as closed his eyes, for the first time in a long time feeling blissfully at peace. A light chirp at her bedside made him open his eyes and cast a curious glance in its direction. It was a small data-pad, and as it chirped again, Anya grumbled softly. Thane blinked in surprise as he caught a glance of the time on the pad when she picked it up, noting that they still had a couple until they arrived, according to the message Anya had received on the pad.

Anya placed the data-pad back on her nightstand and rolled onto her side, facing him and smiling softly. A small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth as he traced a finger up and down her hip.

"It seems we have some time left before we arrive, yes?" He asked quietly. She nodded in response, but didn't speak, drawing his hand to her mouth instead to kiss his fingertips gently. He chuckled a bit, then cast a glance towards her showers. "Perhaps we should wash, and then maybe find ourselves some food, Siha. I'm finding myself quite hungry after all of that." Thane watched in amusement as a myriad of expressions passed over Anya's face, ending with one of realization.

"You know, Thane, that's probably a good idea. I'm pretty damn hungry too after that. But I want you to know, if we make it through this, I'm locking us in this room for a day, and we aren't leaving this bed." She smiled at his wickedly and he chuckled.

"I gather you approve then of my studies?" He teased playfully. She nodded with a smirk.

"I 'approved' four times, Thane. Heh. Remind me to thank Mordin." She laughed, then a thoughtful look followed by a semi horrified one passed over her expression. "On second thought, lets -not- have an awkward conversation with the chatter box salarian about how awesome my handsome drell boyfriend is in bed partially in thanks to the materials he sent you..." She let the sentence drop, her face a deep shade of red as she shook her head. Thane laughed, earning himself a playful glare. She blushed a bit as she appeared to be deep in thought for a moment before speaking again. "And...did you approve...?" Thane smiled warmly and nodded as she left the question open, tilting his head up to place a soft kiss against her brow.

"Indeed, Siha. I most certainly approve." His response enticed a brilliant smile to sneak over her face. He brushed the back of his fingers across her cheek and smiled himself. "Well, lets clean up and then get something to eat like we said. We can't go fighting the collectors on an empty stomach, Siha." Anya nodded in agreement, climbing out of the bed and sauntered over to her shower. Thane smiled as he watched her walk away, admiring her figure before it disappeared from view. He listened as the shower came on, waiting for a few minutes before drawing himself up off the bed as well and making his way to the shower.

He watched her for a short bit, his eyes following the trails of water that traveled down her upturned face down to her hips, her thighs, her feet. Feeling his member become erect again, Thane stepped forward until he stood behind her, reaching one hand around her to cusp a breast, softly teasing one of her still semi hardened nipples. Her soft whimper floated back into his ears as he caressed softly, his other hand gently pushing against her spine to urge her forward into the water more, then start a slow trail down her back and across her wonderfully curved hips.

( - - - )

Anya shivered in delight as she felt Thane's fingertips of one hand against her back making a slow trail down her spine and across her hips. She reached out before her, bracing her hands against the shower wall. Within moments she was arouse again as he continued his slow, tantalizing trail while still caressing one of her breasts. She whimpered as she felt his hand leave her spine, only to feel it slip between her thighs from behind as he pressed himself closer to her, his fused fingers slipping into her wet folds to stroke her hyper sensitive center. She couldn't help but gasp, her back arching in and shoving her hips back at him. She could feel his shaft grind against her backside, stiff once more as he stoked her inner folds softly.

When he slipped his fingers deep into her core and pressed them into her sweet spot, her knees shook as she almost came immediately. She moaned, grinding her hips back against his hand roughly. Within minutes he coaxed an orgasm from her that made her body quake, and it was all she could do to roll her eyes back forward from where they had rolled into the back of her head. Thane pulled his hand from between her quivering thighs and soon thereafter, she felt his gentle touch on her shoulder, pulling gently as if to turn her around. Anya turned to face him, her eyes focused on his own dark gaze as he ravished her with his eyes for a moment. She glanced at the water stream as he stepped into it, pressing her softly against the wall of her shower.

"Thane, the water. Won't this aggravate yo-" Thane interrupted her with a finger to her lips. With an amused smirk, she noted that it was the hand he had used to bring her to yet another orgasm minutes before. She grinned as she watched the surprised and then lustful look pass over his face as she flicked her tongue over his middle digits, tasting herself on his skin. As she did, her vision exploded in a sea of colors, his skins essence having mixed with her fluids. In the back of her mind she recalled Mordin's words about oral contact and hallucinating as Thane kissed her passionately. Her body tingled as his exotic scent filled her nostrils, the taste of his skin lingering in her mouth. He pulled his lips from hers, looking down at her sides as she felt him reach around and cusp his hands under her cheeks. Realizing what he was about to do, she quickly wrapped her arms around his shoulders, gripping her hands together behind his back as he picked her up in one smooth movement. No sooner than she could wrap her legs around his waist for support, he had buried himself fully inside her once more and pinned her to her shower wall.

She felt the air around her cackle and spark as blue biotics flared around them. Thane used his biotics gently to send jolts of pleasure rolling through her body as he settled into slow rhythm, rocking his hips into hers as he held her body up against the shower wall. Anya bit her lip to stifle a pleased squeal as he bent his head to pop a sensitive nipple into his mouth and tease it with his teeth. She gripped his shoulders tightly, him gripping her hips in response as he made deep, sensual strokes into her core. Her voice was lost as she felt her core spasm around him with an orgasm, followed by another only moments later. As the second of her double climax ended, Thane softened his grip, lifting his head to claim her mouth with a passionate kiss.

"Thane..." She sighed into his kiss, her hands on either side of his head his tongue slid into her mouth, dancing against hers. Anya drug her nails gently across his shoulders, enticing a low, rumbling moan from his throat and a quick, hard thrust of his hips into her, pulling his face from hers. A gasp escaped her lips followed by a small giggle of delight. Thane's eyes slide closed as he ground himself deep within her, and she watched him lean his head forward to spill kisses over her collarbone. A thought popped into her head as she glanced at his handsome red frills, and then before she could think further about it, drug her tongue over them slowly. The hallucinogenic effect hit her again as his essence flooded her taste buds. Thane groaned erotically into her ear at the sensation and she gasped as he gripped her sides tightly, driving himself into her quite roughly. Driven by his reaction and her 'drunken' desire to have him ravish her as he did before, she used one hand to tilt his jaw up and away just slightly and then spill kisses across his sensitive frills. She varied between biting his flesh ever so softly, to sucking, then licking, then back again.

She felt Thane shudder beneath her and she clenched her core around his shaft tightly as he began to ravage her roughly once more, almost wondering if his thrusts would send her through her shower wall for only a moment as Thane sent her voice from moans to near screams of pure pleasure, his own groans mingling with hers as she clung to him tightly. His biotics flared again, adding to the ecstasy of the moment as she felt him shudder and hold her down on his throbbing member, feeling it jump within her as he climaxed, her own soon following. Fully spent now, she clung to him as he took heavy, ragged breaths, softly kissing his brow as she waited for her vision to stop swirling with the effects of licking his skin.

Thane lifted her softly, stepping away to separate their bodies, and then set her gently on her feet back on the floor. Anya reeled a bit, her legs shaky as she stumbled into the full water stream, causing Thane to chuckle at her a bit. She shook her head and smirked.

"Did I mention amazing, Thane? Goodness..." She braced herself against the wall, earning herself another chuckle from Thane, her looked at her with a content twinkle nestled in his dark emerald eyes. "Don't you laugh at me, Krios. It's your fault I can't walk or stand correctly at the moment." She winked playfully. He smirked as well, standing in the stream with her as they both let the water cool them, following her statement with his own devious response.

"I didn't hear any complaints earlier, Shepard." Her jaw dropped in mild surprise at his playful banter, and she flicked a handful of water at him.

"How dare you!" She exclaimed. Thane laughed, a full rare laugh and she couldn't help but join in, batting a handful of water back at her. "Cheeky devil..." She winked and shook her head, making a shaky attempt at standing on her tippy toes to lean up and kiss him. He met her most of the way and kissed her softly first on her lips, and then on her forehead, causing her to make a soft delighted squeal. She laughed inwardly at herself, surprised at his ability to make her act so uncharacteristically girly.

"Come, Siha. Let's rinse off, and then go get food. This time for real." He jested, chuckling softly. Anya laughed and nodded. They both took a couple of minutes to wash off, then turned the shower off. As they pulled on their clothing after drying off, Anya could hear Thane's breath coming in rather ragged and she arched her brow in concern.

"Thane, will you be ok? We...were kind of in there a long time with the water running." She took note of the time, realizing another hour had passed since they got into the shower, and the entire bathroom was rather steamy and humid from the constant pour of hot water the shower produced in that time. He nodded at her, reaching out to caress the backs of his fingers across her cheek as she finally managed to fasten the button of her pants, the minor lingering haze of Thane's skin still affecting her slightly.

"I will be fine shortly, Siha. Once we get out of this bedroom." He nodded reassuringly. She nodded as well. She then checked the time, seeing they had roughly about 45 minutes until arrival. Just enough time to grab a hot meal from the crew deck and replenish their energy.

"Okay, just making sure." She smiled softly, then raised her voice just a bit. "Edi, unseal the doors and turn off the privacy mode. I'll be in the mess hall. Let me know when we close." Edi's disembodied voice chirped in shortly.

"As you wish, Shepard." Thane smiled at her softly, and she returned the expression as they both stepped out of her cabin and into the elevator. She blushed a bit as she pressed the button for the crew deck, wondering if anyone was going to be there. As the elevator stopped and the doors slid open, several heads of her team turned in unison at the sound and focused all eyes on her and Thane as they stepped out of the elevator. From the back of the group, she could hear Jack make an enthusiastic wolf whistle.

"Go, Shepard! You banged the lizard man, didn't you? Yea, you totally did. Look at how red her fuckin' face is!" With a loud slap, Anya buried her face in her palm. A roll of laughter lit up the room, even a semi amused chuckle from Thane, who still stood by her side, danced in her ears before he cleared his throat in mild embarrassment.

"Jack...I'm going to kill you." Anya muttered in embarrassment. Another round of laughter filled the air. "Correction...I'm going to kill all of you." Even louder laughter filled the room as Anya shook her head and sighed. "You all suck, you know that?" Her team practically howled with laughter.

"So, hey, Commander..." Joker started over the intercom, a suppressed laugh very apparent in his voice.

"Not...a word, Joker"


End file.
